REMAIN
Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.
Each night as we look back on our day, we often see a life that falls woefully short of the example we have in Jesus.
Where He was patient with others, we were short and ill-tempered.
Where He showed love, we were quick to demand our way.
Where He kept His focus on what is above we were consumed with what is below.
It's easy, during those moments of conviction, to make resolutions.
We promise God and ourselves that we will try harder.
We feel God responding and we are filled with motivation and we go out the next day and we start trying to correct our behavior...
Someone cuts us off on the way to work and instead of letting the expletives fly, we hold our tongue and then we look at God and say "See? I'm doing it!"
You aren't doing it.
The "It" that God is looking for is not behavior modification.
The "it" that God is looking for is not a set of rules to keep.
The "it" is a gift.
"it" is freedom.
"it" is what Jesus died on the cross to offer you.
"it" is a life connected to the branch.
When you are connected to the branch, no behavior modification is needed. The Holy Spirit flows through your mind, spirit, and soul and you become an instrument of God producing fruit and bringing light to the world.
When you are not connected to the branch, no behavior modification is sufficient. The spirit of the antichrist which is in the world and in your flesh flows through your mind, bod,y and soul and you become an instrument of satan producing death and bringing darkness to the world.
"Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned."
Next time you let the expletives fly... stop and look.
Ask yourself "Where was the disconnect?"
What happened an hour ago, a day ago, a week ago, that cut you off from the branch?
That is the issue.
Not your behavior.
Your behavior is a symptom.
Find the illness.
Repent.
God will graft you back to the branch.