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\u201cI am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me\u201d (John 15:1-5).

What is your vision for your life? We can ask this differently. What is our goal or purpose? Or to use Jesus\u2019 words in Matthew 6, where are the treasures we are storing up? Who is it that we are trying to impress? Whose attention are we seeking?

These are important questions for Christians to keep pondering. In John 15:2, Jesus offers God\u2019s vision for our lives: that we produce fruit for Him. We are branches which He prunes so that we will become increasingly fruitful for Him. This is the long journey of being Jesus\u2019 disciples which we embark on when embrace Jesus in faith. We need to keep coming back to these questions because we tend to wander off the narrow path onto wider and easier ones. We get sidetracked by the demands of life. Valuable goals take the place of the most valuable.

Here, Jesus does not tell us what this fruit is. Later in this chapter, he speaks about obedience, love and joy. Certainly, these comprise a strong triad of Christian fruit. A more extensive list is found in Galatians 5: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (22-23). It\u2019s my understanding that Paul is not offering us an exhaustive list, but rather a sampling so that we can \u201ckeep in step with the Spirit\u201d (5:25). These are named the fruit of the Spirit because the Spirit grows them in us, as the Father prunes us, and Jesus purifies us through His Word.

It is important for us to understand what is happening here. God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) is at work in each of our lives, producing His fruit. So why even ask the question, \u201cWhat is your vision for your life?\u201d The question is important because if our vision is different from God\u2019s vision, then our lives our constantly lived in that battle zone between visions. In fact, Christians do live in that battle zone. But knowing this, we can begin shifting our vision to align with God\u2019s.

Galatians 5 is all about this battle zone. Its worth a careful read. Because he knows the battle is real, Paul ends with \u201clet us walk in step with the Spirit.\u201d We can live in resistance to God\u2019s vision, or we can seek to adjust our lives to it.

So, what are some of the competing visions? Happiness (a pain free life is probably the largest in our culture); financial security; successful children and grandchildren; work hard and play harder. You add to this list.

So, does this mean that we should make every effort to produce fruit? It does not. Fruit production is the work of God! Jesus tells us to \u201cremain in me\u201d or to use older English, \u201cabide in me.\u201d This is what we need to concern ourselves with. That is our concern: remain in Christ. How do we do that? Prayer, scripture, worship, giving of our resources, helping those who have a need. The fruit will grow, the Holy Spirit will see to it.

As you stay connected to the vine:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.