If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. —John15:5

Click Here to Read Today’s Scripture: John 15:1-8

Thunk, thunk, thunk…. The sound coming from my washing machine made me run back to the laundry room. I recognized that noise. The load of laundry was unbalanced. The washer made a lot of noise dancing around on the floor, but the clothes were not spinning out as they should. I needed to re-distribute the clothes to balance the load for the washer to do its job.

Sometimes my life becomes unbalanced. I’m making noise and moving around, but there’s nothing truly productive happening. I may be involved in ministry and actively helping people in need. But there’s not much real fruit of my efforts, and the fruit of the Spirit, such as love, joy, and peace, seems to be missing. 

Jesus said, “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 15:5). If we are not firmly connected to Jesus, we can do nothing. When faced with the pull of urgent problems, the demands of daily life, and the needs of people around us, our natural response is to jump into action. When we continue to run to the need of the moment and allow ourselves to become distracted, our connection with Jesus begins to weaken and we become unbalanced. But if we continue to center our lives around Him, not only will we experience the fruit of love, joy, and peace, but our work will be fruitful as well.

Reflection: Has your life felt unbalanced? What are some ways you can ensure you remain connected with Jesus?

Prayer Starter:

Jesus, thank You that You have everything I need for life. Show me any areas in my life that are off-balance and help me stay connected with You.

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