“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. 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 15:4-5 NIV).
iPhone was unable to update. The phone was not connected to power.If you are an iPhone user like me, you have seen this message appear at least once or twice.
Or three times.
Plugging up your phone the night before can be easy to forget.
It’s safe to say that I love Apple products. I’ve been an iPhone user for as long as I can remember, always opting for the rose gold option. For the most part, I enjoy the phone, except for one thing: the constant updates. It can feel like such an inconvenience at times, but necessary.
Apple is notorious for updates, ensuring the products run smoothly and any technical bugs are fixed. However, your phone must be connected to a power source for updates to begin successfully. The number of updates required could cause a significant decrease in the phone’s battery life, so a reliable power source is necessary.
As believers, we can identify with the significance of being connected to a power source.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit while he prunes every branch that does bear fruit so that it will be even more fruitful” (John 15:1-2 NIV).
Throughout our lives, God is consistently cutting and pruning. The process of evolving to become more like Christ takes work. Imagine doing this on your own without God’s power. It would be impossible. We need his power to grow in our faith and become more like him.
I can totally relate to this, as being a Christian at one point in my life felt impossible. For years, I tried to please God without God.
Since God desires us to produce much fruit, we must be connected to the only source that naturally and perfectly bears each fruit.
“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. 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 15:4-5 NIV).
Similar to how an iPhone cannot update without power, neither can we.
We need God. We don’t just need him periodically. We must remain in him. Always.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for your power. I desire to be all that you have designed me to be. Instill in me a desire to stay connected to you. Amen.
Your Turn: How has staying connected to God’s power impacted your life?