Without me you can do nothing. John 15:5
Spiritual growth is actually a very simple matter. According to John 15, we need only remain attached to the vine of Christ and we will automatically bear the fruit of the Spirit. But as Jesus’ parable also plainly teaches, this same fruit will wither in us whenever we leave the vine.
One of the obvious truths that John 15 illustrates is that the virtues of God do not originate or reside in us but in Christ, whose righteousness is “imparted” to us (2 Cor 5:21). Virtue, in other words, is derivative. The fruit of the Spirit is simply the evidence of the Lord’s presence as it moves in and out of our lives according to our conformity with His character. To the degree that we are present to Christ, the character of God is present within us. But if we are not attached to the Source of this character, these same virtues automatically wither in us.
Consider your own experience of “withering” as it applies to each fruit of the Spirit that Paul lists in Gal. 5:22-23 (love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control). Consider, for instance, how, when you are detached from the Spirit:
- Your love withers. You become more self-oriented, more self-seeking.
- Your joy withers. Your life becomes flat and uninteresting to you.
- Your peace withers. Your heart becomes more restless, anxious and full of turmoil.
- Your forbearance withers. You lose patience and have little room in your heart for others.
- Your kindness withers. You no longer feel inspired to make that extra effort to help others.
- Your goodness withers. You become more aware of your selfishness and lack of charity.
- Your faith withers. You feel more fearful about life. The future seems more worrisome. The past more regretful.
- Your gentleness withers.
- You have fewer resources to be magnanimous with your circumstances, with others, or with yourself.
- You find yourself more angry in your responses to life.
- Your self-control withers.
- Your discipline cannot hold. You end up feeling tepid, lazy and lukewarm.
- You know that you are not who you could be in this life, but you lack motivation to do anything about it.
If you can relate to any of these conditions, you would be wise to not overly psychologize your experiences of deficiency. Instead, recognize them for what they are—a withering of your spiritual life—and come to God for the restoring of your soul. Such withering requires not better management, but for you to simply return to the vine of Christ. For as Jesus plainly taught us, “without Me, you can do nothing.”
Rob Des Cotes
Imago Dei Christian Communities
- What are some of the tell-tale signs in your behaviour or response to life that would indicate to you that your branch is starting to “wither?” Which virtues are usually the first to erode in you? Patience? Gentleness? Self-control? Faith? Others?
- In what ways have you tried, on your own, to manage or repair the fact that you are withering in a particular virtue? How satisfied were you with the results of your own efforts?
- John 15 clearly teaches that the only way we can bear the fruit of Christ in our lives is by being attached to the Vine. What helps you “remain in His love”? What faith does it require of you to believe that this “one thing needed” is sufficient?
FOR PRAYER: Consider some virtue that you feel is withering in your life at present. Come to Jesus with your poverty of Spirit and ask to be re-attached to His vine so that you can recover this fruit.