“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. A branch can’t produce fruit by itself, but must remain in the vine. Likewise, you can’t produce fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches.”
– John 15:4-5
We enter the month of November this week. That means we’re already nearing the end of the year and preparing to close out 2024. I’m not sure about you, but for me 2024 flew by. Whenever the year changes from one to the next in January, I sometimes forget that the new year has begun. I feel like I’m still getting used to the fact that it’s 2024, and already we’re moving on to 2025!
As many of you know, our theme for 2024 was Patient Endurance. As you look back on the year that is coming to a close, was this theme true for you? For my family, there were definitely moments this year where patient endurance was needed. At times the busyness and pace of things made daily life feel like an exercise in patience. Theresa started a new job in the summer, but the months leading up to this required much endurance. Perhaps it was relational issues, tough circumstances, difficult decisions, health problems, or otherwise in the past year that were challenging for you. But how do we know when we’re exercising patient endurance? How do we know we’re enduring the way God intends us to?
In Romans 5:3, Paul talks about how “trouble produces endurance.” James 1:3 talks about how “the testing of your faith produces endurance.” 2 Timothy 2:12 says that “if we endure, we will also rule” with Christ. But how do we know that the way we’re dealing with our problems is actually producing these results? How do we know that trouble and testing is actually producing the endurance these verses talk about?
I think one way to know is to consider if during our troubles, we are remaining in Christ. In John 15, Jesus describes Himself as the true vine. He says that we are to be like healthy branches of that vine, meaning that we are deeply connected and rooted in Him.
During the stressful moments in life and our most challenging times, do we run toward God, or away from God? This may be a good indication of whether we are enduring patiently in the way God intends us to.
Personally, one of my stressors this year has been those moments when my plate has gotten really full. It’s those moments when many different responsibilities come up at the same time, whether it’s with home life, or with Theresa, or my kids, church, PhD, teaching, family, or otherwise.
But one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned this year is the importance of staying connected to Jesus during the busiest times in life. I honestly have no idea how I can handle many different responsibilities when they all seem to come up at once. But something I’m sure of is that I need the grace of God more, not less during those moments. During the busy times it becomes even more important to spend time with God, and keep my ear to the Lord every day. The most important part of my day is my time with God in listening prayer. I need the grace of God so desperately to handle my responsibilities well. I need to make sure I’m connected to the vine, because being disconnected amidst the busyness is a bad place to be.
When you’ve faced trials this year, were you able to stay connected to the vine? It’s the vine that gives us life. It’s where we find the fruitfulness that Jesus talks about in John 15:4. It’s where we find the character and hope Paul talks about in Romans 5:3-4. The grace of God is available to us in our troubles and trials, if only we would stay connected to the vine when we need it most.