According to a recent survey, 48% have an ineffective day at work at least once per week. That’s almost ½ of us having an ineffective day 20% of the time! The Guardian newspaper identified certain reasons for our ineffectiveness: (1) Procrastination, (2) Avoiding direction, (3) Blaming and obsessing about others' impact on us, (4) Having a fixed mindset, and (5) Being derailed by every setback.
The Scripture gives us antidotes for each of these as it teaches us: (1) We should, no matter what our calling life may be, be actively about our Father’s business. (2) We are to find direction from God’s Word which is a lamp to our feet and guidance to our path in life. (3) We should not blame others as we must all give an account of behaviors to God. (4) Humility before God is the beginning of knowledge. And (5) Discouragement gives way to victory as we mount up with wings of eagles.
The real antidote to ineffectiveness in life is to remain in the service of God. And we read this within the Fifth Sunday of Easter’s passage: “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” John 15:1-5
Some key words that’ll help us grasp the deeper meaning/application of this passage are TRUE (from the Greek Ἀληθινός) which has the emphasis of the unique connection between the eternal source of truth and its application to life. ABIDE (from the Greek Μένων) which means to travel and hang out with, to maintain unbroken service and fellowship with, and to allow the other to influence you due to the amount of time spent with them. BEAR (from the Greek Φέρω) which carries the meaning of bringing forth due to the cause & effect relationship between spending time with Christ which then generates an effective life of fruit for His glory.
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