Look This Way
By David Chang, Director of Ministry Support
One of the favorite things I like to do is to pick fruit. While other people like growing things that were pleasing to the eye, Mom and Dad loved plants that were pleasing to the tummy. My parents’ yard had all kinds of fruit––two kinds of mango, lemons, tangerines, oranges, bananas, and papayas.
It looks like I’ve passed on to our grandkids my love for picking fruits because they enjoy doing it too.
Recently, in preparing for my devotions, I intentionally prayed, “God, please talk to me through Your Scriptures.” And He did.
“Remain in me, and I will remain in you! The branch can’t bear fruit by itself, but only if it remains in the vine. In the same way, you can’t bear fruit unless you remain in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. People who remain in Me, and I in them, are the ones who bear plenty of fruit. Without Me, you see, you can’t do anything.” (John 15:4-5)
From that passage of Scripture, I sensed that the Lord was showing me that I was focused on “picking fruit” in my life. My motivation was to work hard, so that I can pick fruit. Now picking fruit isn’t bad in itself. I want to bring blessings not just to myself, but to others too. I want to further God’s Kingdom, bless my family and others.
But I think God was telling me that I need to shift my focus. God was telling me that I need to change from focusing on the fruit and start focusing on the vine, which represents Jesus in this passage. This isn’t easy for me. In my Mom’s garden, I learned to look for fruit. You had to look through the leaves and around the branches to find the fruit that was perfectly ripe for the picking. I think this is how it affected my life’s priorities––to look for the “fruit,” that is, for opportunities and pathways that would bring the best outcomes in returns and affirmation.
So, I think God was telling me to shift my focus, look away from figuring out how to maximize outcomes and returns, and instead focus on Jesus and figure out how to maximize my relationship with Him. After all, the Scripture tells me to remain in the vine, to remain in Jesus. It does NOT tell me to remain in the fruit, or to focus on getting the results. I need to trust that if I focus on Jesus, He will bring the results.
Prayer: Lord, thank You for speaking to me through Your Word. Help me to shift my focus on You rather than on the fruit. Help me to trust that if I remain in You, the fruit will come. Good results come only from You. In the name of my true vine, Jesus, Amen.
P.S. to the Prayer: Lord, I just realized that focusing on the fruit got Adam and Eve into trouble, so even more please help me to look at You and not at the fruit!
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