GROW in Jesus through Abiding in Him.
(Mission FOCUS)
Board Devotional - Week 2
Devotional Reading: John 15: 4-5
“Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.” – John 15:4-5 [CSB]
Remember when you were in junior high? The awkward hairdos, the braces, the acne. The way your jeans would fit one day but become highwater jeans the very next day! Was that just me? We all wanted to grow up as quickly as possible, but growing came in slow, little, uncomfortable, embarrassing, sometimes messy spurts. Looking back, as much as I hate to admit it, I realize that although each phase of adolescence was tough, each phase had value and was necessary.
It’s a little like that with spiritual growth as well, which if we are honest, can be every bit as awkward and downright uncomfortable as physical growth. Sometimes, it can even hurt. Here are a few things I’ve learned about growth…
Growth Is Uncomfortable
Anyone who has gone through a growth spurt has experienced the ache that comes right before the growing begins. Growing pains are not imagined, they are a real thing to contend with, and spiritual growing pains are sometimes like that too.
“Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit.” – John 15:2 [CSB]
Sometimes, there are places in our lives that need a bit of pruning. There are things that must be cut away so that certain areas within us can one day bear fruit. That’s not always a comfortable process. However, these pains serve as road markers that tell us that growth is taking root in our lives, and that something is about to bloom.
Growth Is Necessary
At some point after adolescence, we stop getting taller. We reach our max capacity, and we seem to stop growing altogether. But while we seem to stop growing on the outside, that is far from true for each of us on the inside. Every day, new red blood cells are made and re-made to allow for our heart to keep pumping and our organs to keep functioning. Our immune system requires new cell growth to occur on a regular basis and our brain requires that millions of connections get made and re-made so that it can keep on running. While we stop getting taller on the outside, if we stop growing on the inside, well, we die. If we want to keep on living, we have to keep on growing. Because growth is necessary, and we were meant to grow. This truth is even more important in the spiritual realm. The book of John tells us that in order to obtain growth, we have to remain in Jesus, and He must remain in us. When we stop abiding in Jesus our spiritual growth stops, and well, we begin to spiritually die.
Growth Is Sweet
But how do we know that growth is even taking place? How can we be sure that we are abiding in Him? The proof is in the fruit. After the growing, the results are sweet! We were not only designed to bear fruit, but to bear good fruit. Fruit that tastes exceptionally sweet and has a pleasing aroma for anyone who draws near. The next time you wonder if there’s any spiritual growth that has taken place within you, you must examine your spiritual fruit. Is there any? Does it taste Galatians 5:22 -23 sweet?
““I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.” – John 15:4 [CSB]
The book of John also tells us that when we remain in Jesus, we produce much fruit, not just some fruit. Are you missing any fruit? If you find yourself missing some fruit or your fruit hasn’t tasted super sweet lately (perhaps even sour) then your next question ought to be…What am I abiding in? (If the answer is Facebook, Instagram, or Netflix then you probably need some pruning). Am I abiding in Jesus daily? Am I connected to HIS vine or am I just a branch that’s fallen away and producing zero fruit?
So, what does growth look like in the body of Christ?
What does growth look like in a collective body of believers?
Sometimes it’s messy. Sometimes it’s uncomfortable. Sometimes pruning needs to be done. Sometimes awkward, Spirit-lead conversations are needed to be had. Because we are a body of individual believers, each of us may be in completely different phases of spiritual growth. Mistakes will be made. But if we are quick to extend a double measure of GRACE to our brothers and sisters, we will find that a greater measure of GRACE may fall upon us in return. GROWTH in a church is not an easy task. It is not quantitative and does not depend on the number of members a church may have.
GROWTH through abiding in Jesus means that the body of believers see each other through the eyes of Jesus.
That they are quick to LOVE each other and slow to anger. That they keep no record of wrongs and forgive one another easily. That they accept the broken and help the needy. GROWTH means that the church is bountiful in fruit! That the aroma of the fruit is so mouth-watering that people walking by want to stop to eat inside! GROWTH occurs when every member within the body decides to fully abide in the one who gave His life for all. Our Beloved Savior, Jesus.