Friday, April 22, 2016

"Cut Flowers" Spirituality

“I 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.

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. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” (John 15:1-8 NIV)

Cut flowers are beautiful—for awhile.  Placed in a vase of water, they will provide a few days of color and beauty.  But slowly they will begin to wilt, then die, and then be discarded. It is inevitable because a flower cannot survive long on its own, separated from its source of nourishment.  

Spiritually, many of us are like cut flowers.  We have the appearance of being alive—we go to church, maybe participate in another weekly meeting with Christians; temporarily, we look good—but we in reality are dying because we are not attached to the Source for all spiritual nourishment.  

What institutional religion has taught us is we can be spiritual by the outward things we do—following proscribed rituals and being a good person.  But Jesus warns us about this “cut flower” approach.  Nothing apart from Him has any lasting value and, like a bouquet of flowers that has reached its end, will be thrown away.

The Jewish religion promoted by its leaders in Jesus’ day was heavy on rituals, but had been separated from a true faith in God (Mark 12:24). The Lord even went so far to label them “whitewashed tombs,” because while they looked good on the outside, they were actually spiritually dead.  And the most frightening thing is they were completely unaware of their condition.  

So today examine your spiritual life.  Are you attached to Jesus?  Is He the Source of your spiritual life, or are you more like a cut flower, having the appearance of a believer but are in reality slowly dying.  If the latter, know it is not too late.  Re-attach yourself to Jesus and let His life-giving power transform you from the inside out.  Only then can you do things that have any lasting value.  

© Jim Musser 2016

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