Our lives must be characterized by this verse. It's the essense of the Jesus' command, "Love each other" (John 15:17). It means giving up what I want to serve another. It means giving of myself wholeheartedly. Selflessly. With a pure motive. Out of love for Jesus Christ.
When I think about my day to day obligations, actitivies, and conversations, do I truly live out this verse? Yes, I make dinner for my family most nights. Yes, I help my children with their homework and play with them. Yes, I leave notes for my husband saying I love him and I'm praying for him. Yes, I pick up his dry cleaning, run many of his errands, take my children to their doctors' appointments and to art classes and practices. But why do I do all this?
And what about when I'm trying to read my email or talk on the phone and my children interrupt me to ask if they can ride bikes or have a snack? How do I respond? Do I share myself? Do I share my time? And for what reasons? What is my motivation? It's been said that motherhood is characterized by interruptions. Very true. I'm afraid much of the time I'm irritated when I'm interrupted. I'm not talking about the rude kind of interruption like when I'm talking to one child and another starts talking to me. I mean when I'm doing what I want to do and someone else needs me.
This is difficult, isn't it? It's so hard for me to stop what I'm doing and lovingly pay attention to my husband or children. In fact, it's impossible, according to John 15, unless I'm walking closely with Jesus Christ. Verse 5 says "Apart from me you can do nothing." Nothing lovingly, nothing with godly motivation.
So how do we avoid being "apart" from Christ? This passage compares our relationship with Christ and our heavenly Father to a grapevine. God the Father is the gardener, Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. If we are to thrive, the branch must be stay attached to the vine. The branch of a tree cannot grow if it is not attached to his trunk. That means spending time daily reading my Bible, studying what I read, praying about what I read and what it means, thinking about these Scriptures throughout the day, spending time with godly people who walk closely with the Lord, being still so I can listen and hear him speaking to me, being sensitive to the Holy Spirit's promptings. Verse 4 says "Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me." We can't lovingly serve without Christ.
Look at verse 7 and 16:
"If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you." verse 7
"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name." verse 16
Both say that if we ask, he will give. Ask him to help you. Ask for strength and patience. Ask him to make you patient when you are interrupted. Ask for wisdom. James 1:5 says "if anyone lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." That means the Lord will ALWAYS give you his wisdom when you ask for it.
One of my favorite verses says I was created in Christ Jesus to do good works, works that he prepared in advance for me to do (Ephesians 2:10). That means that I am supposed to be walking faithfully with my Lord so that I can lovingly serve my husband and children. I was created to be Brad's wife and the mommy to Kirsten, Katelyn and Josh. And according to 2 Peter 1:3, he has prepared me for this role already.
"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness."
So are you attached to the vine or are you like a branch that is thrown away and withers (John 15:6)? Stop striving to do this alone. Draw near to him and he will draw near to you (James 4:8).
This is difficult, isn't it? It's so hard for me to stop what I'm doing and lovingly pay attention to my husband or children. In fact, it's impossible, according to John 15, unless I'm walking closely with Jesus Christ. Verse 5 says "Apart from me you can do nothing." Nothing lovingly, nothing with godly motivation.
So how do we avoid being "apart" from Christ? This passage compares our relationship with Christ and our heavenly Father to a grapevine. God the Father is the gardener, Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. If we are to thrive, the branch must be stay attached to the vine. The branch of a tree cannot grow if it is not attached to his trunk. That means spending time daily reading my Bible, studying what I read, praying about what I read and what it means, thinking about these Scriptures throughout the day, spending time with godly people who walk closely with the Lord, being still so I can listen and hear him speaking to me, being sensitive to the Holy Spirit's promptings. Verse 4 says "Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me." We can't lovingly serve without Christ.
Look at verse 7 and 16:
"If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you." verse 7
"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name." verse 16
Both say that if we ask, he will give. Ask him to help you. Ask for strength and patience. Ask him to make you patient when you are interrupted. Ask for wisdom. James 1:5 says "if anyone lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." That means the Lord will ALWAYS give you his wisdom when you ask for it.
One of my favorite verses says I was created in Christ Jesus to do good works, works that he prepared in advance for me to do (Ephesians 2:10). That means that I am supposed to be walking faithfully with my Lord so that I can lovingly serve my husband and children. I was created to be Brad's wife and the mommy to Kirsten, Katelyn and Josh. And according to 2 Peter 1:3, he has prepared me for this role already.
"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness."
So are you attached to the vine or are you like a branch that is thrown away and withers (John 15:6)? Stop striving to do this alone. Draw near to him and he will draw near to you (James 4:8).
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