October Epistle

October Epistle

The Fruit of the Vine
John 15: 1-11

What a joy it is for a farmer to see the fruit of his labor. After much toil and energy expended, the farmer can now enjoy the tangible byproducts of his months of sowing, tilling, and pruning.
The frantic Wall Street executive who works sixty hours per week does so in order to reap the benefits of a financially secure living. The proud parents, who invest countless hours of instruction, discipline, and understanding into their children in the hope that one day they will mature and be secure in themselves. All the piano lessons, soccer practices, ballet rehearsals, braces, clothing, and dollars spent on arcade games and educational experiences are done so that one day their children will become responsible adults with a good moral and ethical foundation to build their lives and dreams upon. The young basketball hopeful who subjects himself to infinite hours of practice, enduring physical injury, and disregarding social isolation, does so to fulfill a quest or destiny of becoming a superstar.

I recall working on my first Masters degree in counseling with bittersweet memories. At times it was grueling, intense, bleak, and utterly exhaustive. I endured it, not because I had nothing else to do with three years of my life, but because there was a reward at the end of my academic pursuits. It’s called graduation. Graduation is the culmination or commencement to an era of scholastic endeavors that certify your ability to be confident and competent in your chosen field of study.

In the same way, God our loving Father pours His precious spirit into us that we might recognize the amount of care and nurture He gives to us. He lavishes us with good things in order that we will know the depths of His love. He plans and purposes our lives in such a way that we will have all that we need to be complete and content in Him.

At times, on this journey, we feel as though we are stagnant or have been rendered ineffective to God. We feel as if we will never produce the fruit of the Spirit that God so much desires for us to have. No matter how many sermons we hear, how many New Year’s resolutions we make, or how many times we stand in the mirror and confess positive thinking, we continue to miss God’s standard of holiness. This often makes us depressed and hesitant to continue on in faith. Jesus says, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in Him, the same shall bear much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

What a relief to know that as long as I stay attached to the vine, I will produce fruit. What a new freedom and a new joy to cease all striving to impress God. I only consciously remain connected to the vine; a vine that is under the constant care of an infinitely wise farmer. He does this that he may reap the fruit of His labor in our lives.

Finally, I can rest from all the toils of this world and simply abide in the vine. The more I abide, the more I rest. The more I rest, the more this world becomes less important. The more this world becomes less important, the more the fruit of God’s pleasure is produced in my life.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in his wonderful face
And the things of this earth shall grow strangely dim
In the light of his glory and grace