Bear Much Fruit
“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
All trees bear fruit. The question is not if, but what kind. A tree rooted in Christ, nourished by His Word, and watered by the Spirit will naturally produce fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). In contrast, a tree rooted in the flesh or fed by the influences of the world bears fruit of pride, anger, envy, and selfish ambition.
So often, we see the visible “leaves” of sin and assume the solution is to pluck them off. We address individual behaviors, thinking that will solve the problem. But sin doesn’t grow in isolation. It’s rooted in something deeper: the soil of our hearts. Unless the root system is transformed—planted in Christ and fed by His truth—those leaves will return, season after season.
This truth became real for my husband recently. He found himself struggling on every level—his mental health and ultimately his identity in Christ. Though he had been attending church and genuinely desiring a life of faith, he found himself depressed, anxious, and feeling like a failure.
The problem wasn’t his desire to grow—it was his source. He wanted to hear from God, but he was forgetting that God also wanted to hear from him. God was desiring time, communion, and fellowship with His son. The Lord didn’t just want a Drey who was busy doing all the right things. He wanted a Drey who would abide, stay in His presence, and trust Him to bring healing and growth.
In that season, God called my husband to a fast and promised that he would see breakthrough every day if he would commit to abiding only in Him. My husband said yes to the call, and God did something remarkable—not only in him but through him. As he spent time in the presence of his Heavenly Father, he wasn’t the same. God ministered to him, and through that intimacy, God also ministered to his family and friends. Simply because he said yes to abiding, God used him to reflect His goodness.
Jesus doesn’t ask us to trim bad branches; He invites us to abide in Him. To abide means to stay, to dwell, to remain connected. It’s not about trying harder to bear good fruit but allowing His life to flow through us. Because the fruit is not to be consumed by the fruit bearer, but it’s to be gleaned by those who come in contact with it. And just as a tree cannot thrive without sunlight, water, and good soil, we cannot bear lasting fruit apart from Him. And when we fail to produce good fruit, we fail our testimony.
Take time today to examine the roots of your life. Are they drawing strength from Christ, or are they tangled in the worries and desires of this world? Are you focusing on doing for God or being with God? Is your testimony one that feeds those around you? Remember, it is in abiding that we find healing, purpose, and the ability to bear much fruit to further the kingdom.
Prayer:
Lord, help me to abide in You. Reveal the areas of my life that are not rooted in Your truth. Transform the soil of my heart so that I may bear fruit that glorifies You. Thank You for being the source of all that is good in me. I surrender my life to You, trusting that apart from You, I can do nothing. Amen.
Reflection:
What kind of fruit are you producing in this season of life? Are you abiding in Christ or simply going through the motions? How might a deeper commitment to His presence—like fasting, prayer, or daily worship—lead to breakthrough in your life and the lives of those around you?
