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. John 15:4-5 NIV
There’s an apple orchard near me. I have been there many times with my kids and grandkids, choosing which rows had our favorite varieties, to pick our own bushels. I’ve been in that orchard over the last several decades, and while new trees are always being planted, I can pick from the same trees year to year if I choose. This is a great orchard. Apple trees generally live for 50 to 80 years with proper care, though some can live for over a century. Trees typically start producing fruit 3 to 5 years after planting, with peak productivity lasting for roughly 20 to 40 years. Many will produce much longer. I’ve never heard a single groan from a tree, trying hard to make a beautiful apple.😊 No, it’s what they were created to do, so they simply stand in the rich soil, joyfully receiving the wind, the rain, the snow, and the sun. The farmer tends them carefully and the apples just come. It’s the natural result of being in the right place.
For us, bearing fruit is a natural outcome of staying connected to Jesus, not a result of striving or working to "produce" it. Just as a branch bears fruit simply by remaining in the vine, believers produce godly character (love, peace, joy) by abiding in Christ, allowing His life to flow through them. There’s no forcing.
This is abiding over-achieving. The focus is on remaining in fellowship with Jesus rather than trying to manufacture holiness through effort. It’s not a “brag” on me. It’s Him IN me.
This is God’s responsibility through my remaining. A tree doesn’t strain to produce fruit; it happens naturally when it receives nutrients from the place where it is planted. Similarly, spiritual fruit naturally results as the overflow of abiding.
Speaking in the analogy of Jesus, He is the Vine (the Source) and we are the branches. Apart from Jesus, nothing good can be done. Fruit is a testament to the life of His Spirit, not a "to-do" list of tasks and characteristics to accomplish.
Fruit is never forced; it is always the miraculous system of God for my growth and productivity as I rest in Him. The Christian life is about trusting and knowing Christ more and more rather that trying to be a “super-Christian” on my own.
- Jesus, help me quit trying to force fruit. Help me focus on remaining deeply connected to You, the True Vine, allowing Your life to flow through me naturally.