For a long time, I believed strength came from myself.
If I worked hard enough, thought deeply enough, or pushed long enough, I could become who I wanted to be. I thought growth was something I manufactured — like building muscle through sheer willpower.
But then I realized something uncomfortable:
A branch doesn’t bear fruit because it tries harder.
It bears fruit because it stays connected.
Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Apart from Me, you can do nothing.”
I used to read that as a command.
Now I see it as a description of reality.
A branch cut off from the vine doesn’t become “more independent.”
It doesn’t gain freedom.
It simply withers.
And that was me.
Every time I strained to succeed alone, relying only on my logic, my discipline, or my moral effort, I felt dry inside — like something essential was missing.
It wasn’t failure.
It was disconnection.
Union with God isn’t about pressure.
It’s about continuity.
Staying open.
Staying receptive.
Letting the life of God flow into the places where I have none.
When I am connected, I don’t need to force spiritual transformation.
Just like a branch doesn’t force grapes to grow.
It simply receives the life of the vine, and fruit appears.
When I am disconnected, I get tangled in myself — my flaws, my emotions, my ego, my past.
I respond from fear instead of peace.
From weakness instead of strength.
From pride instead of humility.
But in Him, everything aligns:
My thoughts quiet.
My heart steadies.
My identity becomes clear.
I am not trying to become something —
I already am His.
God does not ask me to be perfect.
He asks me to stay connected.
That connection is what changes me.
A branch doesn’t measure itself.
It doesn’t perform.
It doesn’t panic about how much fruit it produced today.
It simply remains in the vine.
And remaining is enough.
When I stay in God —
my anger softens,
my anxiety loosens,
my desires refine,
my purpose strengthens.
Not because I forced it,
but because His life flowed where mine was empty.
People chase meaning everywhere.
They think purpose is something they must build.
But union with God is the opposite:
Purpose is not built.
Purpose is received.
Purpose is the natural fruit of being connected to the Source of all life.
I am a branch.
He is the vine.
And when I remain in Him,
I don’t just live —
I flourish.