Life is not about work, productivity, and success. It’s about presence. You’ve probably heard this word, or something similar. There are even books written about the importance of presence. But we must bear fruit. Jesus promised that if we abide in Him and let God (our Gardener) prune and nourish us, we will bear good fruit (John 15:5). So, which is productivity or presence? I think it’s both. Being with the Lord in our time is essential to producing anything good.
In my mind, like many of us, I have equated productivity with purpose. Setting aside rest and meditation, stillness and gratitude are ways to free up more time to be productive. Because that’s where our purpose lies. However, this is incorrect.
I often struggle with trying to live a perfect life. Living purposefully and intentionally is an admirable quality. Although they are not as prevalent today, it is easy for me to turn these traits into another vessel for perfectionism. Wanting to live each moment with purpose and intention is a positive thing, but that doesn’t protect us from the bruises and scars that living life brings.
It’s so hard for us to slow down and be with God because the world tells us to hurry. I realized that I was creating the belief that “the more I can cram into a day, the better.” Can you relate? I have to fight the tendency to do as much as humanly possible in a day or week.
I feel bad when I feel like I haven’t completed enough tasks for the day. For years, when I get ready for bed, I think of all the things I didn’t get done today.
When I realized that my bedtime routine included negative self-talk, I knew I had to break the habit. It wasn’t a habit I chose. It was something the enemy had conditioned me to think was a good idea to take inventory of my day. Being mindful is a great habit, but being cruel to yourself is not a mental discipline.
I’ve been a perfectionist since I could walk. Obviously, not everyone has this affliction. At the other end of the spectrum, there are people who never take stock of their lives and how they spend their time. Neither extreme is fruitful.
know god
The best thing we can do is open our hearts to the work of the Holy Spirit. May God correct us, encourage us, and transform us. However, this does not solve the problem. Spiritual discipline is essential to a positive and ongoing relationship with God. For example, you can’t have a good relationship if you don’t talk to your spouse at all. If we talk to them and they don’t listen at all, I guarantee they don’t feel loved and the relationship is unhealthy.
Another example is our relationship with our children. If we don’t discipline our children, they will feel insecure about love and what it looks like. Discipline is an essential part of our relationships and helps us inform and educate our children about what God says is right and wrong.
God is love and God trains His children for their good. “Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. He showed his love for us by sending his only son into the world. This is true love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” 4:7-10, NLT).
If we don’t take the time to get to know God and what He is, we will never have a healthy relationship with Him. We only know God, but that is a completely different relationship than the purpose for which God created us.
There’s one line in Phil Wickham’s new song “Homesick for Heaven” that I like the most. He says, “I’m running into your arms as fast as I can because I was made to be where you are.” That’s it, there! Being with God is what we were created for. If that truth is not at the center of our daily lives, we need to recalibrate.
Why God’s Truth Matters
The truth is, life is difficult no matter who you are. Sure, everyone has their own unique experiences that we can’t really relate to, but what they have in common is pain. When we understand that pain is unavoidable, we can shift our focus from trying to end or numb the pain to working through it and seeing the peace on the other side. Now, don’t get me wrong. They remind us of the hope we have and can cling to when we realize that there will be another bout of pain to endure, but all these struggles, hurdles, nightmares, you name it, can have a positive outcome. We do not live alone on this earth. We have never been and never will be. Even if we feel alone, we are one of many people who feel alone as well.
We live in a society that requires truth to be relative. That may sound generous, but it’s impossible to maintain. This venture is doomed from the start because its focus is self-centered. When we live in the vine of Christ, we live and love by the power of Christ. And we will do it together. Jesus said, “Apart from Me you can do nothing.” More specifically, Jesus said, “Yes, I am the vine, and you are its branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will bear much fruit; for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5, NIV).
If we follow Jesus and persevere through difficult situations, we will bear much fruit. Among the things we have to endure is something called pruning, which can be quite painful. In times of such pain, we can turn to God’s Word and remind our hearts and spirits of the good work God is doing in our lives.
Jesus says that he is the vine and God (the Father) is the gardener. “God will cut off every branch of mine that does not bear fruit, and he will prune the branches that do bear fruit, so that they will bear more fruit. You have already been pruned and purified by the message that I have given you” (John 15:3-4, NIV).
John 15 is my favorite chapter in the book. Because this chapter is where Jesus teaches us how to live. I don’t know about you, but that fits my personality well. I want to learn how to live properly and this chapter explains it well. He uses the metaphor of a vine, and its symbolism runs deep.
God’s truth is the only truth because God says so. In John 14:6, Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (NLT). It is very important that we, as children of God, know the truth and share it with the world. Otherwise, you will cause them to walk into death and destruction.
In case it wasn’t clear yet, I’m a passionate soul. I care deeply about the souls of every person on this planet. I know that the only way to live is in Christ. If I don’t share the beliefs God has placed on my heart, I don’t have love.
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/pcess609
Vanessa Lu is a wife, mother, and faith-based writer. She speaks and writes to encourage believers to truly live with God.
