Fit for the Flames -- Throwing out the flowers and resolving to abide in the Vine

Dead flowers thrown into the fire--January 1, 2013

The bright colors of my Christmas bouquet faded and the pristine blossoms wilted.  The once vibrant and fragrant beauties withered, and now they are without a doubt . . . lifeless. Their drooping heads over dried and brittle leaves were no longer of any use to me, so . . . I tossed them into the fire last night.  As I watched them burn, I thought. . . that’s me without God. 

If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.  John 15:6

These are Jesus' words.

Think about it.  Jesus is our source of life.  He is our life blood.  He is the True Vine.  We are the branches that flourish and grow as long as we are connected to Him—abiding in Him.  If we become cut off from the source of Life, by our own choice or neglect or by never having connected to Him in the first place, we cannot sustain life.  We wither.  Strength and vitality fades away. 

Jesus said He came not only that we might have life, but also that we might have it abundantly.  (See John 10:10)

That connectivity, that abiding, is through a relationship with God.  We can have the abundant life that God wants us to have if we maintain our connection to Him.  It’s through that relationship that we draw from the boundless source of all things good. 

As we stay connected to Him every day, we bring forth fruit.  Beautiful delicious life-giving fruit.  All that we are created to be in Christ Jesus, all the good things that we go about doing each day--all the things that we do to His glory.  Jesus said we will bring forth fruit.

I am the vine, ye are the branches.  He that abideth in me, and I in Him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without me ye can do nothing.  John 15:15

Photo courtesy of Jeanne Henriques



Can this be our New Year’s resolution?  To abide in the Vine?  And what might we do to maintain that connectivity to God in the everyday moments of life?

Might you consider leaving a comment?  I’d love to read your thoughts.