Needing a lot of outside support?

I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. (John 15:1-4 NLT)

Remain in me - attempting to live life apart from deep, personal connection with Jesus is fruitless - literally! We can try to live on the coat tails of another who is deeply in love with Jesus, but that just won't produce much within us or through us. It will keep us exactly where the devil wants us to be, though! It will mean we don't make that connection ourselves, being spoon fed what little we learn about Jesus, never really coming to the place where we are fed at the feet of Jesus ourselves. 

The message of truth comes to us. We are 'pruned and purified' by the message of God's grace, saying yes to that invitation, and then what? We are expected to produce fruit. Nothing will ever produce new life within us like the deep connection we form with Jesus. We can try to mimic what other Christians do and say, but that will merely be a 'performance' and not the real deal. When Jesus lays hold of our hearts, there is a change that begins - something within us begins to take hold of him as he takes hold of us.

That hold is what makes the difference. We cannot hold onto sin, selfishness, or self-direction if we hold onto him. Isn't his hold on us enough? Do we really need to take hold of him? If you have ever tried to graft a branch into a tree it did not originate from, you know it needs a little bit of prep work, attention being paid to how it will 'fit' into the place where it is being grafted and then it has to be held in place for a bit by some form of wrapping. Why is that? It hasn't taken hold yet. It is being held there until it does.

In much the same way, Jesus holds us close, allowing us to just 'rest' a bit in that place where we are "grafted in", but his goal is that we take hold, allowing the connection to become permanent. Lasting connection with Jesus doesn't require all those 'outside supports' - it is strong because it has made a vital connection to that which gives it life! We can rely upon the 'outside supports' for only so long - if the connection isn't made, the life within will wither and die.

We might not think much about this connection we have with Jesus, but when it isn't 'solid' and 'growing', we can sure see the difference. The fruit isn't there, the vitality in our walk is missing, and even our demeanor changes. When the connection is solid, there is evidence of life, joy that passes all understanding, and a strength to resist the storms of life. How's your connection? Vital and growing? Or kind of 'disconnected' and requiring a whole lot of 'outside support'? Just askin...