By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit... - John 15:8
What does God want from us? What does he want for us?
Is it God's desire that we score touchdowns and then point to the sky? Maybe. Does he want us to move to a third-world country and pour ourselves out for the poor? Possibly. Is his goal that we are wealthy and healthy and influential, giving him the credit? Could be.
God's unique plan for each us of us is just that, unique. It is usually something to be discovered one step at a time… one curtain pulled back at a time… one act of obedience at a time. Often God's unique plan for each of us is clearest in retrospect.
However, God has a plan for us that we can know; unequivocally and without doubt. God desires that we bear fruit. "What kind of fruit," we may ask? Paul gives some insight into spiritual fruit - true fruit: "The fruit of the Spirit," he writes, is, "…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…" (Galatians 5:22-23).
God's unique plan for each of us is realized as we live by faith, according to what we already know. This is biblical obedience.
So what is our part? How can we live out God's unique plan? Well, Jesus says that he is the vine and we are the branches - branches he designed to be fruit-bearing. Our job is to "abide" in him. The word abide can be translated, remain, persevere" or to be true. As we cling to Jesus, he makes us fruitful. Often, we don't even really notice it happening.
We often say things like, "I am seeking God's plan for my life." (Too much pressure!) A moment ago I wrote that God's unique plan is often clearest in retrospect. That may sound negative and frustrating. It is however, incredibly comforting. We don't have to see into the future - and good thing, because we don't have the ability. (And probably would be scared spitless if we really could!)
Simply abide.
Abiding is not passive. That's at best a misunderstanding and at worst a cop-out. Abiding is an active bear hug. (It gets even better!) What we discover, is though we think we are the bear-huggers in this abiding, we are the bear-hugged!
"Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5).
God, I abide in you… (please bear-hug me).
For now...
D
