Pastor Stephen Gibson
July 2021
Do you give thanks for being free? Do you savor liberty? What a blessing that there were people who had a dream for this nation to be a place where we could worship God as we choose. And they acted on their dream. We still benefit today from the efforts they invested in valuing freedom. Still, we recognize the fragile nature of freedom. It can quickly be lost.
We celebrate independence for our nation officially each summer in July. What about our own lives? Are you independent? Of course we value being able to drive to the store or to church, or to have the physical ability to tie our shoes or take a shower. We give thanks that we can watch a church service or spiritual meeting via the internet. But do we really want to be independent?
Jesus addressed this in John the 15th chapter as He used an illustration to represent our relationship to Him. ‘I am the vine’, He said, ‘and you are the branches’ (v. 5). Based on this illustration, we are not at all independent. We can accomplish nothing on our own (v. 5).
As the chapter progresses, it becomes clear that to be separated from the Vine means death (v. 6).
Thankfully, most of us want to live. That is a healthy desire. As we are attached to the Vine we find life and recognize that we are loved (v. 9). When we recognize God’s love for us, we will know what joy really is (v. 11).
When we experience God’s love and receive His joy, then we are able to share love with others (v. 17).
So it’s no wonder that in the last days, there are many who do not love others. How could they love if they haven’t experienced being loved? Of course God loves them, but they refuse to acknowledge it or fail to recognize it.
In the end, there are two groups left in this world. Those who abide in Christ and have learned to love are one group. The others are the haters, who never experienced love or chose to reject it. In Matthew 24, Jesus spoke of those whose ‘…love grows cold’ (v. 12).
Where do you want to be? Among the branches savoring the life and love available in depending on the Vine? Or do you prefer to not depend on anyone and lose out on life?
It’s the choices we make day by day that determine our outcome. Have you taken time today to thank God for the privilege of living in a nation with freedom to worship Him openly? Have you spent time in prayer, savoring the love that God pumps through your system? Are you getting nourishment from His Word? Are you learning to depend on His power, His motivation instead of your own?
If you are making those choices, your life will be marked by His joy, along with the difficulties you are facing. His joy can persist even alongside other emotions that aren’t so welcome. And you can be a blessing to someone in your world who urgently needs an invitation to sample the life of a dependent branch.