Daily Devotional for March 29

 

March 29                                                            John 15:1-11

                  Fruitful Living

Driving down the freeway the other day, I saw a bumper
sticker that read, "LIFE IS HARD; THEN YOU DIE." In today's
world, one of our deepest longings is for a sense of purpose.
Many have succumbed to ennui, a boredom with our Western
abundance. Others suffer from loneliness, a haunting sickness
of the soul. Still others experience a lack of connectedness,
an alienation from self, from other people, and from the world.
Many would say, with the psalmist, "As for human beings, their
days are like grass; they flourish like a flower of the field; for
the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows
it no more." (Psalm 103:15-16)

In today's verses, the metaphor of the vine and the branches
is used to emphasize the point that fruitful living begins with
life intimately connected with the life of Christ.

Aligning our wills with the will of God through Christ is the
first step in finding a purpose in life, which leads in turn to
fruitful living. "Apart from me you can do nothing," Jesus said.
When we get ourselves grafted properly into the source, Christ,
we are like a branch connected to the vine. We receive the
nurturing we need in order to continue our spiritual life, just
as the branch receives the sustenance that keeps it alive. We
receive many other gifts too: wisdom, joy, and not least, a
sense of purpose and calling that fulfills us to the very core
of our being.

Conversely, when we do not abide in Christ, we ensure that
our spiritual being will dry up in today's highly stressful world.
So, we have a decision to make each day: to abide and flourish
in Christ, or to waste away in the narrow confines of our own
egos.

       God, help me to make the daily choice to abide
    in Jesus, so that my life may be filled with purpose
                           and meaning. Amen.

​

​

 

From The Road to Emmaus - An inclusive devotional Edited by Joseph W. Houle

Emmaus House of Prayer - Washington D.C.198