John 15:5
I am the vine, and you are the branches.
If you stay joined to me, and I stay joined to you, then you will
produce lots of fruit. But you cannot do anything without me.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Last
week, Timothy attended a “Day Camp” at our local Aquatic Center. On the
last day, he received a tote bag filled with his arts and crafts,
candy, and some toys. One was this squishy deep blue “creature” –
similar to a beetle. It felt pretty gross to the touch, and it was all
sticky. At first, Timothy was unsure about this toy, but over the span
of an hour or so, he grew to like it…until one of its legs came off…and
then another. Then Timothy began to pull on the legs – and soon there
were six little “blobs of blue goo” and a 3-sectioned “body.”
Yesterday, one of the kids pulled off a “body” section…and I’ll be
honest - last night, we deemed the pieces of “creature” to be a safety
hazard, and the pile of goop went in the trash!
Intact, this
“creature” was interesting to look at…and somewhat fun for the kids to
hold in their hands. The appendages by themselves were just little blue
blobs of goo…icky and worthless. It’s similar to a toy doll or robot
that requires batteries to walk and talk. Without the batteries, the
toy can still be fun for awhile, if the children use their
imagination…but the real “magic” happens when batteries are inserted!
Without
seeming irreverent, I offer that Jesus is our “batteries” or “body.”
Without His power, we are pretty ineffective. I wouldn’t go so far as
to say that we are worthless, because we all know people who
occasionally manage to do some fairly productive things with no apparent
Spiritual support. But if you “get down to brass tacks,” you will
probably see that they were covered in the grace and mercy of Jesus –
even if they didn’t acknowledge His presence. If you trim a fruit-laden branch from the vine, the fruit will still be “good” for a little
while…but ultimately, it will shrivel and become inedible – and destined
for the trash heap!
What we can accomplish on our own – who and
what we are – is pretty limited without the power of Jesus. Like the
“little blue blobs of goo” that once were the legs of an icky toy
creature, we may hold the attention of others and “entertain” or “serve”
for a brief moment. But without attachment to the body…without the
VINE – we will never be productive and complete for very long.
Where
does this leave you? Are you attached to the Body? Is your “branch”
firmly attached to the “vine” of Jesus? Don’t end up in the “trash
heap” of life. Stay connected to Jesus! Let Him power your life – in
every way…and enable you to produce His “good fruits” - today…and
always!
©2015 Debbie Robus
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