Be in Him

This morning as I walked past the rose bushes planted outside our house, I notice something unsightly. Growing out of the same rich soil producing lovely aromatic roses was a full-grown and healthy thorn bush! Thinking to myself, that must go, I hesitated; because of its size, I realized to remove it would be no small task. Let me suggest in every Believer's life, the danger of neglect is overlooked and understated. Scripture teaches a key principle: it is our own selfish desires that give birth to sin (James 1:14). The fruit of the Believer's life - or lack of it - is based solely on how well we are connected and abiding in The Right Source. Jesus said, "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me." (John 15:4 ESV). Yes, both the thorn and the rose bush appeared healthy yet it was only one that had blooms and a sweet aroma. As followers of Jesus, we are commanded to "put to death what is earthly in you" (Colossians 3:5 ESV) - mortify, kill, destroy that sin that leads to unsightliness in us. We must not neglect this! Charles Spurgeon writes, "O Christian, prize this precious union to Christ; for it must be the source of all the fruitfulness which thou canst hope to know. If thou wert not joined to Jesus Christ, thou wouldst be a barren bough indeed." (Morning by Morning). Let us never neglect to abide in Jesus Christ - daily and continually in His Word and in sweet communion with Him - allowing Him to nourish and prune us to be that sweet smelling aroma unto God ... be in Him.