“Remain in me, and I will remain in you! The branch can’t bear fruit by itself, but only if it remains in the vine. In the same way, you can’t bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. People who remain in me, and I in them, are the ones who bear plenty of fruit. Without me, you see, you can’t do anything. — John 15:4-5 Remain. It’s one of the hardest things to do… Remaining faithful. Staying engaged. Participating wholeheartedly.  When it’s new, it’s natural to be excited. The sheer thrill of “new” envelopes us. We soak everything in and allow this new part of us to blossom. Faith is beautiful at first. A recognition of our helplessness; an admission of inadequacy met with an extended hand of grace. It changes how we see the world, and how we see our own lives… Everything suddenly has a deeper layer to it. A footnote clarifying what was really going on when that thing was going on. (e.g. Something mindless and devastating happens, but suddenly you begin to recognize the impossible beauty that seems to be flowing out of it.)  And then… Ten years happens. Or maybe it’s 25 years, or 25 days. But the thrill subsides, and suddenly all of the “new” has become “normal.” And you’re left with this one-word challenge from Jesus: “Remain.”  Reading this passage, you can hear a sober plea from Jesus, knowing full-well how difficult it is to stay faithful in a relationship long-term… Even if it is with the Creator of the Universe. Jesus is asking us to stay onboard, even when the sails are limp and there’s no land in sight.  This “bearing fruit” metaphor is Jesus painting a picture of what it looks like for us to know why we were created, and see that “why” clearly demonstrated in our lives. How confident and self-assured must an apple tree feel when its’ limbs are full of fruit! “This is why I was made… This is what I’m contributing to the world.”  And all of the self-obsessed questions and over-analyzation disappears behind a newly discovered meaning. And yet, many of us never glimpse it. We follow the paths carved deep into the mud by our ancestors and do whatever would make our parents proud (even long after they’ve gone). And we wonder why we’re plagued with over-consumption. Over-consumption of digital media, of the Earth's natural resources, of approval-seeking social media posts...  It’s almost as if we’re turning over stones, looking for our purpose under each one. 

 

Is it under this promotion at work? Nope.    Is it under this viral social post? No…    What about under this life milestone? Still no. It’s important to remember that none of these things are bad, or wrong. Jesus wants us to live fulfilling lives. He wants us to succeed and achieve and advance—but only in the things that matter.  I often find myself praying, “Lord, may today be productive in Your eyes. Not what I consider successful, but what You’d like to see me doing with my day.” And it reframes my priorities like the crack of a whip. As with most things, we humans must taste the bitter before we come back to the sweet. And Jesus is standing there with a plate full of fresh fruit, waiting for us to come to our senses. We need to be kind to ourselves, and as patient as God Himself is with us. Over the nearly two decades that I’ve been a follower of Jesus, it’s become clear that God has far more grace for us than we have for ourselves.  God’s not angry. He doesn’t want you to be ashamed. He doesn’t want you worried or striving or meditating on your failures… He wants you, in your simplest state, with your branches full of fruit.  How do we get there?  Remain.