In John 15:5, Jesus compares the Christian life to a grapevine: “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever remains connected to Me, and I to them, bears much fruit, because without Me you can do nothing.” As we remain connected to Jesus, in time we will bear wonderful fruit for everyone to see. To bear ripe, good fruit that people enjoy, we need to live close to Jesus. But becoming more like Jesus is a journey, and it takes time. The longer we remain close to Jesus, the better life becomes.
In this process of learning to think and act like Jesus, we are not alone. God the Father is the gardener who loosens the soil, provides water, makes sure that we receive enough sunlight and prunes us where necessary. As God does His work and we remain close to Jesus, blossoms and small buds of fruit appear at the tips of our branches. In time, the fruit grows and ripens. The fruit we bear is evidence of how healthy our branches are on the inside. Through this, we become a testimony to the people God places in our lives, and they are drawn by our testimony. It brings God joy when we live out the love He first showed us.
In the next few messages, we will explain the key virtues or qualities God wants to see in our lives. As you read them, quietly say: “This is who I want to become.” And with God’s help, you will! Paul says in Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.”
Enjoy the journey over the next few weeks!
Written by Hendrik Nel