Fresh Starts Attached to A Vine

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.