apart from me, you can do nothing

I am at home for Christmas break, and in the process of packing, moving stuff, and hanging with the family, I forgot four days of Christmas. But tonight you are in luck!

On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love said to me, "apart from me, you can do nothing."

Sometimes this verse is hard to swallow. Jesus says he is the vine, and we are the branches, and if we abide in him and he in us, we will bear "much fruit." Except without him, we can't do anything. I hear myself thinking, that doesn't make sense, because we seem to do a lot of things without him every day. But Jesus is talking about bearing fruit - which can encompass a whole lot of things, including the fruits of the spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control). When I look at those, I realize, there is no way I can create those things on my own. Even if I think I can, they would only last for a second. If I tried to "bear fruit" on my own, every minute of every day, I would give up after the first hour. 

Although it may not look like it, this is a love note from God. He is the vine that we connect to in order to receive life. If we were to break off from the vine, we would die. So apart from him, we cannot do anything. But this is the good news: abiding in him, and he in us, we can do everything. I will be able to be peaceful, joyful, patient and faithful no matter what comes along if I am connected to him. It's nothing of my own effort, but the holy spirit will enable us to do these things. How comforting, and releasing! I don't have to try as hard as I can anymore - because I will never be able to try hard enough. If we only ask, he will give it to us. Oh how sweet to trust in Jesus!

john 15:5

galatians 5:22-23