The Secret of Fruitfulness
Fruit is never forced—it flows from abiding in Christ.
Resting in the Vine
“The branch of the vine does not worry, and toil, and rush here to seek for sunshine, and there to find rain. No; it rests in union and communion with the vine; and at the right time, and in the right way, is the right fruit found on it. Let us so abide in the Lord Jesus.” — Hudson Taylor
The Secret of Abiding
John 15 paints the same picture Hudson Taylor so beautifully describes: “
I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit” (John 15:5).
The branch never worries about the outcome. It doesn’t strain to make fruit appear.
Its only responsibility is to stay connected. Life is in the vine. The fruit is the overflow of abiding.
The Freedom of Rest
How often do we turn discipleship into striving?
We rush to produce results, to prove ourselves, to make something happen. But Jesus invites us to rest. To abide.
The fruit that matters—love—flows naturally when His life flows through us.
Worry and toil belong to self-effort; peace and fruit belong to those who remain in Him.
Pruned for More
Jesus also tells us the Father prunes fruitful branches so they will be even more fruitful (John 15:2).
Pruning isn’t punishment—it’s purposeful love.
God cuts away what hinders so more of Christ’s life can flow through us. Seasons of loss or difficulty often become the places where His love grows deeper roots.
The Fruit Is Always Love
At the end of the day, the fruit of the Vine is love.
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love” (John 15:9).
Love is the evidence that we are abiding. Our love for God is revealed in the way we love people—with a love that reflects His own heart. When His life flows through us, it overflows into relationships, words, and actions that mirror His compassion.
The secret is not in our effort but in our union with Him.
Reflection