In John 15, Jesus talks about the vine, branches, and vinedresser. Although, for most of us, we don’t have a reference that connects us with this parable, in those days, there were many vineyards and that’s where people worked, so this would have been very relevant.
Today, we might say that God is the Internet, Jesus is how we connect to the Internet, and we are the device. For most of us, staying connected to the Internet is critical. It might be how we conduct our work or stay in touch with our children and family. It could be how we do research for school and work projects. Perhaps, it’s for entertainment and relaxation. The key is that we have to stay connected. It’s why we see people on their smartphones everywhere.
In our spiritual life, it’s the same. We need to stay connected in order to receive direction and wisdom from God. Jesus said that “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser” (John 15:1) and “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. He provides us with the life giving sap. God is the vinedresser who prunes us, through discipline, in order to produce more and better fruit. If we don’t stay connected, we will wither up and die. If we don’t allow the painful pruning, we won’t produce good fruit.
How do we stay connected? Have the same dedication to studying the Word of God, attending church services, seeking God in prayer, and serving, that you do to staying in touch with social media and the internet. In fact, your life will go a whole lot better if you invest more time to the things of the Lord and less to the things of the world. Jesus said that if we don’t stay connected to Him, we can do nothing of heavenly value. Remember that one day you will stand in front of Jesus and give an accounting of your life. Holy fire will burn off all the worldly things you did and leave only those activities that furthered the Kingdom of God. So, stay connected to Jesus and pile up that treasure that is in heaven!