John 15:5 states, “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.” Remaining in Christ guarantees spiritual fruitfulness. This fruitfulness manifests in two ways: the fruit of the Holy Spirit (peace, love, joy) and fruits tied to our individual destinies.
Each of us has a unique destiny, which is God’s will for our lives. Some may fear trusting God’s will, worrying it might not be as good as their own. However, Romans 12:2 assures us, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s Will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” God’s will is always good, pleasing, and perfect.
Our connection with God through the Holy Spirit allows us to bear the fruit of our destiny. Jeremiah 1:5, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations,” suggests God has a plan for us from conception. Despite this, God has granted us free will to choose His plan or our own.
Choosing God means trusting that His will is always best for us. It involves surrendering our fleshly desires and submitting to His plan, adopting His desires as our own. Matthew 16:24 says, “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.’”
When we choose to follow Jesus, we abandon our previous life plans, belief systems, and desires, and instead align with God’s original plan. This requires trusting God’s will and allowing the Holy Spirit to renew our minds and transform our hearts. Our human understanding is limited; we lack the information to make the best decisions for ourselves, both in this life and the next. God, however, knows the past, present, and future, extending beyond our physical existence. Relying on our own understanding when God’s knowledge is infinite is foolish. Therefore, we must admit that God’s will is inherently superior.
Returning to the concept of fruit, when we choose God and believe in Jesus Christ, we become branches connected to the vine. As we remain connected, God’s will begins to manifest as “fruits.” For example, if God’s will is for you to start a business, by remaining in the vine, that business will begin to grow and materialize.
A common pitfall is becoming so excited by these new fruits that we shift our focus from remaining in the vine to worshipping the fruit itself. This is a tactic of the enemy to disconnect us from the vine, ultimately killing the fruit, as fruit can only flourish when we remain connected.
What does worshipping the fruit look like? Consider the business example. You sought God, and He gave you a business idea. With the Holy Spirit’s help, the business thrives. This new venture begins to consume your time, leaving little for seeking God. Your prayers become solely about the business—its threats, objectives, and goals—rather than seeking God’s heart, understanding His nature, and aligning yourself with Him. You are no longer worshipping God but the fruit He provided.
This is a tragic outcome. When the devil cannot prevent a fruit from growing, he tempts us to worship it, causing us to neglect our intimate relationship with God. This leads us astray, prevents further fruit-bearing, and can ultimately result in being cut off from the vine. John 15:1-2 states, “I am the true vine and the 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.” Once disconnected, the fruit that became an idol withers, leaving us back where we started or in an even worse position.
In conclusion, God’s will is the best possible path for our lives. We have been given the free will to choose His will by accepting Jesus Christ, who grants us access to this destiny. As we align with Him, this destiny manifests as fruits. It is crucial not to be distracted by these fruits but to remain focused on Christ by nurturing our relationship with God through Jesus Christ and by the Holy Spirit.
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