5 day plan

Serve one another

Day 3 of 5

NIV

John 15:3-5

You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.  Remain in me, as I also 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.   “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing... This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.  John 15:3-5,8, NIV

'You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit – fruit that will last – and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: love each other.  John 15:16-17, NIV

Reflection: Called to bear fruit

What does God intend for us, as we live as followers of Jesus? In John 15, Jesus teaches his disciples that he chose us and appointed us to bear fruit, fruit that will last. By bearing fruit, we bring glory to the Father, and show we are his followers. Jesus also emphasises the vital connection between us (the branches) and himself (the true vine).

What does Jesus mean by ‘fruit’? The fruit encompasses our obedience to Jesus’ commands (vs 10), our experience of Jesus’ joy (vs 11), our love one another (vs 12), and our witness to the world (vs 16, 27).*

Importantly, we can only bear this fruit – we can only love one another, witness to Jesus, and obey his commands – if we ‘remain in him’. We cannot serve Jesus, and one another, if we are disconnected from him. Jesus says, ‘no branch can bear fruit by itself’.

I need to be reminded of this truth when I am serving in my church. Either when I am very busy and overcommitted and feeling burdened; or when I have pulled back and feel that now is not a good time to serve in any ministry. What is at the heart of my ‘burn out’? I always feel that the best starting point is to do a ‘health check’ on how connected I am to Jesus. It is only when I remain connected to him, that I can effectively serve and love my brothers and sisters in Christ, and to witness to Jesus’ love among those who don’t yet know him.

An analogy which has helped me is one my Dad shared with me: imagining myself as an empty cup which needs to be filled with love. God can fill my cup with his love, to the point of overflowing. With the overflow of his love, I can love others in my life. If my cup is empty of God’s love, I am likely to be looking to other people to fill it up, and therefore cannot effectively serve them.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed, burdened, or burnt out when serving others?  How does this Scripture from John’s Gospel challenge and encourage you today?

* see DA Carson, The Gospel According to John

 

Prayer:

Father God, thank you for choosing us as your own, to bear lasting fruit. Lord Jesus, please help me to choose, every day, to remain in you. Fill me up with your love, so I may overflow your love into the lives of others. Amen.

Days

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