I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. John 15:1-4
A branch finds its identity if it is attached to (abides in) the vine. Once detached or broken off, the branch becomes deadwood or a dry stick, wood lying on the ground (usually picked up and thrown into the fire). Where we are with Christ (our position) helps define who we are (our identity). Abiding is a place where we surrender to Jesus our individuality and become an extension of the vine. He lives in and through us. In doing so, we become fruitful or find our calling. A branch bears fruit because it is connected to the vine. That connection also allows the branch to fulfil a bigger purpose—giving a taste of the vine through the fruit it bears. Similarly, our abiding in Christ bears fruit that introduces Him to a world that is desperately seeking God.
…our abiding in Christ bears fruit that introduces Him to a world that is desperately seeking God
Our identity and our calling often happen through a process called pruning, which can be painful and challenging. It sometimes takes us to the dark night of our soul. But it is a work that our loving Father initiates in us to make us more fruitful and more like Him. He knows who we are; tenderly, he allows us to go through experiences of pruning so we become who we are called to be and produce the fruit he intends us to produce.
