Read with me, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 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.” John 15:4-5


The way we live testifies of the source we draw from. The way we speak, they way we think, the way we do things, and the way we live are all testifying of our thought systems. What we consume, we produce. Imagine with me a tree, a tree just being a tree. Now imagine a tree planted by rivers of water, one lush and green, producing shade, yielding its fruit to all who pass by, and just… being a tree. For a well-connected tree, yielding is effortless. For a person who is deeply rooted in Him, even more so. A person disconnected from Him will never know full life.

Just as  a tree was designed to be a tree and do tree related things, we were designed to produce. We were designed to produce fruit, to create, and thrive, not merely to survive. A well tended heart yields fruit, a pruned heart thrives, an abiding heart is full of joy. Note that pruning is not punishment.Pruning is a co-laboring. He doesn’t rush in with His sword and cut you off when He is unhappy. He doesn’t waltz into the garden of your heart and snip off every offending twig, severing you from His nature. He beckons you to take your thoughts captive, He unctions you to tear down strongholds, He reminds you to renew your mind- all this alongside Him with the help of the Comforter.

‘Abide in me’- is an invitation to be in and with Him. There is no ambiguity of text that allows for misinterpreting His intent to be and do alongside you, to help you. His intention is clear – abide. As the roots of a tree remains in soil, as they stay, as they abide in the optimal environment for growth, just so, stay, abide, and be in Him. Do not be moved. Abide.

What are you connected to? Or rather  whom? You see, He who is connected to the vine bears fruit. You can look like a tree, you can have all the attributes in excess, all the while your fruit can be lacking. Beauty and presentation are not all that. We need to go deeper still, and draw life from where we rest in order to yield. Abiding, resting, being in Him is the catalyst to growth. We grow in Him, through Him, by Him. Without Him, it is not possible to bear fruit. Without being founded in Him, and grounded in the truth there will be no yield.

Abiding looks like rest. Abiding sounds like worship. Abiding smells like perfume poured out at His feet. Abiding feels like home. Yield your heart so you can yield fruit. You give your heart to Him, so He can pour you out on others. We abide so we can become a shelter and of use to others. We firstly abide in Him , so we can then bear fruit.  


*_{Parts of this text has been adapted from a beautifully constructed post by Sandra Barnard, who generously allowed me to pilfer her creative content. All misgivings, misquotes and grammatical errors are my own.}