REFOCUS
Begin with silence, stillness, and centering before God. You may wish to make the phrase, “I in you and You in me” as a prayer to focus your thoughts on the presence of God.
READ
John 15 1-5, 11
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener”
2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you
4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 “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…”
11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
REFLECT
Knowing
In his book ‘The Social Animal’, David Brooks notes that some leaders have assumed that people just need to be taught the long-term risks of bad behavior in order to change. Examples include: “Smoking can lead to cancer. Adultery destroys families and lying destroys trust.” He writes, “the assumption was that once you reminded people of the foolishness of their behavior, they would be motivated to stop.”
Yet, the number of people who continue to do things they know are destructive tells us that this approach is simply not very effective. You may know the doctor who smokes, the coach who eats junk food or the preacher who is unkind. The fact that all of these know better, means that information alone is not enough to transform character. Add to these the discarded piles of New Year’s resolutions to remind us that even the best of intentions don’t produce change.
We needn’t despair. Jesus offers a powerful resource for change and transformation. Part of his formula for behavior change is found in what he tells his followers in the passage above. There, he tells his present disciples and modern ones as well, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As a branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” Positive behavior, it turns out, is a direct result of being present with Jesus.
We do not overcome temptation or master self-control on our own. No amount of self-flagellation or condemnation will produce it. Gritting our teeth and making another resolution will not accomplish it. Ordering one more self-help book is not the answer. But, when we are surrounded by His presence, temptation loses its grip. That is why self-control is a part of the “fruit of the Spirit.” It is something that Jesus’ presence produces in us.
Of course, I am speaking of being aware of what is already true. God’s presence floods this world. For the believer, Jesus is in him and with him. He has promised to “never leave us or forsake us.” It is our mind that must be tuned to notice what already is.
Without that awareness there are areas in which we will become utterly ineffective and powerless. He states it bluntly; we can “do nothing.” But such failure is not a signal to try harder or resolve more firmly. It is, instead, the call to turn our attention back to him.
If we don’t, the results can be disastrous: Frustration will soon follow. Self-loathing or blaming others may begin. When we try to accomplish with self-effort what can only be a work of His Spirit, it leaves us defeated, exhausted, shame based and angry.
Our quest then is simple (yet not easy) – to spend every waking moment with Him; To attune our hearts, minds and bodies to His presence. Without that connection we are cut off from life itself. Failure and frustration are the final word.
When we are “abiding in him” temptation loses its power. It too is transformed, becoming a warning sign that we have drifted away from Him and are entering that dangerous land of spiritual isolation. Even if we continue on and fall, our failure is not a reason to beat ourselves harder. Instead it is the needed reminder to return to Him who was beaten for us. It is only in that return that there is hope of change. Because being with Him transforms us to be like him.
RESPOND
Questions to Consider
- How often am I aware that Jesus is with me?
- What might change for me if I truly knew that Jesus is with me?
Prayer
Use the following classic hymn as a prayer. (If you know it, you may even want to sing it as a prayer)
O Master, Let me Walk with Thee,
O Master, let me walk with Thee,
In lowly paths of service free.
Tell me Thy secret; help me bear
The strain of toil, the fret of care.
Help me the slow of heart to move
By some clear, winning word of love.
Teach me the wayward feet to stay,
And guide them in the homeward way.
Teach me Thy patience; still with Thee
In closer, dearer, company,
In work that keeps faith sweet and strong,
In trust that triumphs over wrong.
In hope that sends a shining ray
Far down the future’s broadening way,
In peace that only Thou canst give,
With Thee, O Master, let me live.
Lord Jesus, draw me close to You that I might find Your strength.
When temptations come remind me that you are my strength.
Blessings,
Rev. James R. Needham, PhD, MDiv