Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).
We all want our lives to “bear much fruit.” We like our efforts to be productive. We like to see results!
Sometimes, we may fail to acknowledge God’s part in our accomplishments and claim all the credit for ourselves.
All that we accomplish—all the fruit we bear—is because of God’s life within us. The fruits of our efforts—when we remember to give God appropriate credit and appreciation for our gifts and talents—will be accompanied by the Fruits of the Holy Spirit: charity (love), joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, and chastity.
Jesus said, “Without me you can do nothing.” We keep our connection to our life’s source strong through daily prayer and frequent reception of Holy Communion. Thanking God for the gifts, talents, and opportunities we have to do great things will help us stay firmly attached to our life source, make our efforts truly fruitful, and lead us to experience the Fruits of the Spirit in our lives.
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Image credit: Patrice THEBAULT/CIRIC