“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 15:5)
Many people hold the opinion that you need freedom and autonomy to achieve something in life. They think you can only get things done and experience happiness if you make your own choices in everything. Jesus sees it differently. He says, “Apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
Why is that? Because humans are not made to navigate life independently and autonomously. We cannot sustain that. We are like branches of a vine: on our own, we accomplish nothing, but when we are connected to the vine, we can bear much fruit. Jesus’ urgent advice is therefore: “Abide in Me, and I in you” (John 15:4).
This requires a shift in our thinking. At first glance, it may seem unattractive, but it actually brings great peace to surrender some of our freedom of choice to Someone who is infinitely wise and trustworthy. Jesus desires to guide and shape us so that our hearts and characters increasingly align with His original purpose for our lives. He makes us flourish.
Do you prefer to live as independently and autonomously as possible, or do you feel more at home in a protected environment? Do you find it appealing to be connected to Jesus?