Be the Lord's Vine

A brother in my church enjoys growing grapevines. He told me how this particular plant requires great diligence in fertilizing and caring for it.

Good soil for cultivating grapevines contains sand, clay, nutrients, and has a loose texture. To grow well, grapes should be planted in lowland areas, receive plenty of sunlight, and have little rainfall. Their branches must also be pruned regularly in order to produce abundant fruit. Wow, the technique is very detailed, isn't it?

Jesus called Himself the true vine. Why is that?

It turns out there are several things about cultivating grapevines that are similar to our spiritual lives:

1. Prune Bad Habits

"Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He cuts off, and every branch that does bear fruit, He cleanses, so that it may bear more fruit." – John 15:2

Everyone has bad habits that often hinder progress in life. A simple example is laziness.

During college, I was once a lazy student, and my grades plummeted. I was also too lazy to look for work to pay for my studies. However, when I allowed God to cleanse me and remove that laziness, positive changes began to happen.

I no longer had difficulty finding work. I could use the salary to pay for college. Because I knew how hard it was to earn money, I did not want to waste it. I became diligent in studying, and as a result, my grades kept getting better.

God can cleanse the bad things within us in many ways. It may be through someone else's advice, an experience of failure, or a rebuke from a friend. It is certainly uncomfortable when we have to stop certain habits or get rid of certain things that cause us to fall into sin. However, it will bring goodness and growth to our lives.

From year to year, do you keep struggling with the same sin, or have bad habits that never change? Try to reflect: could it be that all this time you have been resisting when God wanted to prune your bad habits?

When we are reluctant to let go of bad habits because we already feel comfortable, we are actually the ones who suffer the loss. And not only us; the people around us are affected as well.

By allowing God to prune away bad character traits, we will never lose out. New shoots will grow within us, and we ourselves will one day enjoy the harvest.

2. Grow in the True Vine

“Abide in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me.” – John 15:4

When my spiritual life was weak, I refused to do God's word. I did not want to worship, pray, or have personal devotions. As a result, the condition of my faith grew worse.

However, after I humbled myself to confess my sins, to abide in God and carry out His word, I felt a change. I was able to respond to situations positively, take positive actions, and receive positive results as well.

Grapevine branches will not bear fruit, and will even die, if they are not attached to the vine. When we allow God to dwell in our hearts, namely by reading His word and putting it into practice, positive things follow. We are changed and produce good character that we perhaps once were unable to grow.

3. Glorify God by Bearing Much Fruit

“In this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” – John 15:8

In the past I did not want to serve; I only wanted to be served. After receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior, I was willing to be involved in ministry. I became an usher, a Sunday school teacher, visited the sick, or encouraged those who were grieving.

At first it was not easy. I had to lay aside my ego. I learned how to serve properly, learned how to deal with small children, and learned to give what those I served needed. Now I am grateful that my service has produced a positive impact, and that others can feel the love of Christ through what I do.

When planting a tree, of course we hope it will produce benefits for us. Whether its wood, its fruit, or its leaves. As our Owner, God also hopes that we will glorify His name by bearing much fruit. There are many kinds of fruit we can produce, such as love, friendship, patience, and others (Galatians 5:22).

4. We Are Special in His Eyes

Grapevines are special plants because they cannot grow just anywhere or without detailed care. We too are special in God's eyes, because God wants to dwell in us and ensure that all our needs are provided for.

The question is, do we believe that we are special?

There are people who feel that they are ordinary and do not bear much fruit. They compare their lives with the lives of others. Perhaps we complain, “My friend who used to have nothing is now living in abundance. Why am I still struggling financially?”

Know this: you are special, so do not compare yourself with others. You are not able to produce the fruit others produce, because you are growing fruit of a different kind.

For example, because I sing off-key, I am not suited to become a singer. I also cannot play musical instruments. However, God has blessed me with a talent for writing, so I can write this article. I bear much fruit through my writing.

With a healthy spiritual body, we can bear much fruit. Others too will glorify God after receiving, experiencing, or being helped by what we do.

There is no such thing as loss, wasted effort, or no impact when we make Jesus our vine. Abide in Him, prune bad habits, give yourself to serve, and believe that you are special in His eyes. Amen!