Day 27 - Stay Rooted

A Weightless Devotional

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

You know those times when it feels like you can’t do anything right? When you struggle with sadness, anxiety, loss? When you just can’t win, you can’t make yourself do what you want to do because you are overwhelmed, depressed, or just plain mad at yourself and the world? If you do, then you know what Jesus was talking about when He said, “Apart from me you can do nothing.”

That might sound overly dramatic. After all, on your own, you can obviously do plenty. You can build a career, pursue your goals, and make friends. You can even do selfless things like helping others and making sacrifices for your family—all important and valuable things.

So what does Jesus mean when He says you can’t do anything?

You can do anything. You are just doing it without the fruit that comes from the Vine Himself; without love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. If, in the doing, you lack any of these things, then it’s because you are doing without relying on Jesus—without remaining in the vine. That means that if in the doings of life you have some complaints, then you aren’t remaining in the vine because when you remain in the vine, you experience the joy the vine feeds its branches.