John 15:5 – “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
As Christians, we are called to be fruitful in God’s kingdom. This could mean sharing God’s love with others, reaching the lost, or even praying for someone else. But the most important of all is bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Too often, we concentrate on bearing visible fruit for God’s glory that we forget to bear the hidden fruit of the Holy Spirit within us.
Jesus made it very clear that we cannot bear fruit on our own. The branch of a mango tree does not produce mangoes on its own. It has to remain connected to the tree trunk, which is in turn rooted strong in the ground and gets enough water, nutrients and sunshine. If we try to modify our attitudes and behavior on our own, we will fail. But when we remain connected to God through daily fellowship and root ourselves firmly in the Word of God, we will start bearing the fruit of the Spirit in our own lives.
Prayer: Lord, help us remain rooted in You, that we may bear much fruit for Your kingdom. Even if we don’t see any significant changes in ourselves, we believe that You are working in us every single day. Thank You for being patient with us while we learn and grow into fruitful vines in Your vineyard.
