“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing..” (ESV)

“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.” (NIV)

“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” (NLT)

Dive Deeper:

It seems that every time I finish a project or hit a life milestone, someone asks, “So what’s next?” And I get it. We’re wired to move, grow, and achieve. But sometimes I wonder if we’re sprinting past something far more important: the joy of being exactly where we are with Jesus.

We want to be people of accomplishment, always off to the next big endeavor. At least, that’s the trap I tend to fall into.

But in Jesus, I already have it all: the full measure of grace, the complete hope of eternity, and the fullness of joy. And somehow, the longer I walk with Him, the greater His love becomes to me. 

I sought and found. I was blind, but now I see. I was lost, but now I am found. I was once far off, but now I’ve been brought near. Knowing Jesus doesn’t just change our circumstances…it changes us. We become a new person in Christ.

Jesus isn't the one asking, “What are you doing next?” He doesn’t pry with, “What are you going to do with your life?” He has one request—and one assumption—for those who are His: that they remain in Him, seek His kingdom, and obey His Word. No more, no less. He is our accomplishment. He has done the work. He is what we continually strive after. So, what’s next? Eternal joy in the presence of Christ. And right now? Fullness of joy as we abide in him and He in us.

Don’t let this pass by. Don’t let it become a cliché. Notice with what big letters I write to you: THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE ABIDES IN YOU…if you abide in Him. 

You don’t need to prove yourself to enter in. You don’t need to first accomplish something big. You don’t need to go off and do anything. Just remain in His love and let everything flow from it. A branch apart from the vine can do nothing. It’s just a branch. But in The Vine? All things are possible for those who are in Christ Jesus. 

Be attached to The Vine. Be willing to be pruned under His care. And in doing so, you will bear much fruit—the fruit of the Spirit, not the fruit of “Christian effort.” In Him, we have everything and nothing we deserve. Jesus asks only this: remain in Him, live through Him and His commands, and you will have fullness of joy. We are no longer slaves, but friends—sons and daughters of the Creator of the World.

Written by Blake Stanley