“I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”- John 15:5 NKJV
Have you ever felt disoriented, but you don’t know why you feel that way? Maybe you’ve felt a bit of unfulfilled anxiousness or aimless feelings that fill you throughout the day, but you can’t quite put your finger on the root of your problem? Often I have felt this way, and then Sunday morning service comes along, or I find myself at a bible study, and I notice something interesting happening internally. Whenever I gather to worship and pray with other believers, those negative feelings somehow begin to fade away and are replaced with strength and inspiration once again. I became reoriented and realigned simply by connecting with Jesus and sharing in His life with other people. I was socially misaligned before, but then I was adjusted by the Heavenly Physician back into correct alignment. But why did this simple action of participating in an event cause an inner clarity to unexpectedly fill me? Our answer lies hidden within the beauty of this glorious Vine and His branches.
If you think about a mature vine with only one branch coming forth from it, the vine wouldn’t be fruitful. In fact, there would be something wrong with the vine. Now picture the most fruitful vine on earth, full of life and bearing grape-producing branches, each interwoven with the others. When more fruitful branches are gathered together, the more glorious the vine is to behold. In light of that simple truth, here’s the glaring issue that we face today: 56% of Christians feel that their spiritual life is entirely private. 27% of believers have not returned to an in-person fellowship even after churches have fully reopened. We have a new pandemic of “doing church on our own”, and it’s a poisonous disease that hurts us and ultimately distorts the image of the Vine.
So should you feel condemned if you haven’t been regularly meeting with believers in fellowship recently? Absolutely not! Instead, think about the excitement and opportunity that God has set before us to give extra glory and honor to His Son when we worship together. Psalm 34:3 enthusiastically says, “Come, let us tell of the LORD’s greatness; let us exalt His name together.” Simply press the inexhaustible reset button in God’s grace, and let us pursue the goal of healthy, thriving, holistic connection as His branches gathered as one to glorify The True Vine.
Verses on this topic:
1. 1 Thessalonians 2:8
2. Psalm 107:32
3. Psalm 122:1
4. Acts 2:1
5. Hebrews 10:25
6. Romans 12:5
7. Psalm 133:1
8. Acts 2:44
9. Acts 2:46
10. Psalm 22:25
Sources:
73% of people have returned to church (Lifeway Research) https://research.lifeway.com/2022/03/29/churchgoing-continues-to-lag-church-reopenings/
56% of Christians Feel Their Spiritual Life Is Entirely Private (Barna Group) https://www.barna.com/research/discipleship-friendship/