In This Together

Do you ever feel that no matter how hard you try, things just don't turn out right?

I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. - John 15:5

In today's reading, Jesus offers an explanation for our failures.

Years ago I was on a retreat weekend where this was the Scripture reading chosen as the weekend's theme.  At the time, I found the reading perplexing, because it was both encouraging and threatening.

If I abide in Christ, if I have God in my life through Christ, I will accomplish what I set out to do.  But if I don't have the Spirit of the Lord living within me, I can do nothing.

If that is true for me, isn't it also true for everyone else?

Does everyone need to be Christian to be successful?

Surely there are examples of successful people who do not believe in God, or do not follow Jesus, so what is Jesus getting at here?

I am sure many who attended the weekend came away feeling they owed their lives and all the good that occurred in them to Jesus.  That was the intent of the weekend, and it wasn't a bad thing.  We all came away renewed in our faith to some extent, feeling God was with us, living and working in our lives.

Now, I admit that I truly believe God works through us, sometimes in ways we cannot know or imagine, so I am ok with putting my faith in Him and seeking His will in all I do.

I talk about God in the three persons, Jesus, Spirit and God the Father, so it may seem confusing to those who do not believe as I do, that each provides me with the strength and fortitude to do what I would not be able to do alone.

And that is how I read this chapter of John's Gospel.  He talks about Christ as the vine on which all of us branches grow.  It is a metaphor that I like to think represents all of God's creation.

Whether we acknowledge our interconnectedness or not, we are not alone.  So all we accomplish in this life is due to the work of the one who sustains us.

Without the life and breath of God in me, I am dead.

The Good News is that through Christ, I can connect with that life-giving source and live.  Through Him I can do anything.

If I believe that, there are no limits to what I will attempt in His name.

Isn't that good to know?

So, whether you are struggling to accomplish your goals or just barely keeping yourself alive, there is a power you can tap into to make it through the day, and all of us who are living in that power are with you.

If we truly believe in our interconnectedness, we will be there for you, and you for us.

That is how God works.

So, abide in Him and you will find the message is real.

More to come...