‘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.’
John 15 vs 5
A few months ago, my friend Nicola sent me an episode from Danielle Strictland’s Right Side Up Podcast, which quite frankly blew my mind with regards to God’s original intent for humankind; specifically with regards to Genesis chapter 2.
‘Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till and keep it.’
Genesis 2 vs 15
According to Swan House, ‘The purpose of tilling soil is to work-in needed ingredients like nitrogen, phosphorous and compost to prepare and boost soil’s overall health.’
Tilling and keeping is exercising dominion. And what this actually means, when translated from the Hebrew language is to ‘serve and protect’. Jesus came to serve and protect us, not to rule; and that is how he wants us to relate with one another. We are called to ‘go and do likewise.’
Each of us was born with a specific talent and purpose. But contrary to what the world would have us believe, our gifts are not for our own selfish gains, but for service to those around us. And this is why Jesus says, ‘I am the vine, and you are the branches.’ The source of our talents is God, and only when we use them in the way we were designed to can we bear fruit. The mistake we often make is to assume that we can only serve in a church building. Jesus rarely entered church buildings whilst he was on earth. The potential reach of our talents is so much more than a building. Indeed, it is steeped in our livelihood and daily living – how we approach our work/careers, what drives us on a daily basis; what gets us out of bed every morning. Is it for selfish gain or for the sake of serving and protecting others?
Please note, I am not saying we shouldn’t serve in our various churches. On the contrary, being of service in whichever congregation you fellowship and worship with is of vital importance.
I have many faults, and one of them is at times desiring material and worldly gain. As a result, I’m sometimes caught in a cycle of despondence – feeling as though I’m not doing well enough or don’t possess enough etc. But every now and again, something simple but extraordinary happens, which enables me to recognise what truly matters. Permit me to give you an example. A young boy by the name of Tom, joined one of my drama clubs at the start of the autumn term (2022). He was very shy, and during those first few weeks, I often wondered whether he would be able to cope with the pressure of performing in front of a live audience. However, I continued to encourage him to practice hard and believe in himself. Six weeks later, after one of the rehearsals, Tom came up to me and said something that still makes me a little emotional till this day – “Thank you Segun, I didn’t think I could do this, but you believed in me, and now I feel so much more confident.” Unbeknown to him, I shed tears during my drive back home that evening as I recalled his words. Not only because I was immensely proud of him for persevering, but also because his words were a confirmation of what God had been telling me – ‘Focus on my children. That is what I created you for.’
The fruit that Jesus is talking about isn’t just those of the holy spirit, but also the lives that we are called to touch on a daily basis.
You have amazing God given talents. Do not concern yourself with what others are doing. Focus only on using your incredible talents to serve others. The more you do so, the more life has meaning. The more you do so, the happier and more fulfilled you will become. And as you do so, trust that God will provide everything you need.
Finally, do not allow those negative voices in your head to shackle you. You know the ones – ‘look at what you did yesterday. Look at where you are. How can you possibly think you have any right to do this?’. Afterall, a few verses earlier, Jesus says, “You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.” Jesus is the word. You are in Him, and He is in you.
Jesus has already made you clean. You are dearly and unconditionally loved by a good and forever loving God. Go and do likewise.