“I am the vine; you are the branches. 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 ESV)
Imagine you are a young adult living at home. All your friends have already moved out on their own and are living independently. You are still living under the watchful eyes of your parents, abiding by their rules, helping out with chores around the house, dependent on them for most things. You are frequently tempted to move out--to live the way you want, to do things that your parents would probably disapprove of, to make decisions without their input or influence. You want to be your own person. You want to assert your rights.
It is natural for us to want a life separate from our earthly parents. However, we are not intended to live apart from our Heavenly Father.
Most of us are tempted to strike out on our own. We attempt to operate under our own power, independent of God. We think we can be productive, that we can fight our own battles, and achieve our ambitions. The more successful we are, the more confident we become of our abilities, the less we rely on anyone else--including God. We may call on Him, once a week on Sunday--mostly as a formality. And then we get back to our independent life where we are lord and master of our domain.
We were created to always abide with our Heavenly Father. We are not meant to live separately, to make our own decisions, or to follow our own agenda. Anything we produce, apart from God, is worthless. Our Father asks us to remain in His presence, stay connected at all times, and hold on to Him no matter what. He promises to take care of us, to direct and guide us, and never abandon us.
Lord, may I abide in You and You in me.
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