John 15
“Already you are
clean because of the word that I have spoken to you, abide in me and I in you”
(vs3)
Today is a new day, the slate has
been wiped clean under His mercy and we get to start fresh. His grace has
allowed us to leave behind the mistakes and burdens of yesterday, they have no
place in today, this new day. We begin like this, clean, simply because of the
word he has spoken to us. We did not have to do anything for this word; it was
and is not conditional on our behaviour or actions.
I didn’t have to make sure I worked out 4
times this week for this word, this word was not conditional on whether or not
I read my Bible this morning or kept my house clean for a whole day. I did not
have to be perfect, have my ducks in a row, stop swearing, and learn the secret
of patience in a day. Yet today, despite the fact that I did not meet even half
of the expectations that I had for myself yesterday, I still got to start
clean, with His word spoken over me. As
I reflect on this magnificent truth I wonder why I have all these expectations
for myself in the first place. I justify them, indeed they are not bad, and in
fact mostly they are good. Being healthy, being a good wife, a devout
Christian, I’m sure that Christ delights in these things when I do them from a
place of joy. Yet even striving to do all these “good things” I find myself
daily in a place of guilt, or disappointment or frustration spurring from my
inability to meet my own standard. I am not motivated enough, I have not done
enough, I am not enough. Several times each day I come face to face with this. I am not enough. And this is true. I
will never be good enough to earn this word that has been spoken to and over
me. I will never be able to read and study enough of my Bible to be counted
righteous on my own. I will always fail to be perfect. After facing this very
unnerving reality I once again relinquish my pride, realize the majesty of
grace and stand in awe that not by my own doing, but by His, I am made righteous
in God’s sight. Suddenly I am enough, I am redeemed, and I am made right. Christ
in me, the Holy Spirit living and active has made me right and whole. I stay in
the beauty of this revelation, I am filled with joy and amazement and delight.
I’m growing snap pea’s, one of
the stocks snapped a few days ago and the peas that were at the top of that
vine have died. They were no longer connected. It is so obvious to us that this
should happen, they are no longer being sustained by anything, how could they possibly
live? I pause for just a second to realize the absurdity of it all, why are we
surprised when we step away from our Father and our lives turn into a
wasteland? If my snap pea cannot survive apart from its life giver how do we
expect to? Why do we want to? Why do
we choose destruction over good? It is so simple. “Abide in me” (vs9) “so your
joy will be full” (vs 11)! Full of joy! Think about the happiest moment you can
remember. This is joy. Why would we not choose to be that happy everyday?
Especially when this gift is free, this word he spoke is so simple to receive--abide
in him. Allow the creator to give joy. Stand in love. It’s amazing what happens
when you choose to love the people around you. Abide in the vine and let the inevitable
joy and love that will flow from that place change the way you encounter the
world.
