Start Over: Help and Hope for Your New BeginningSample

Ten years ago, my wife and I took a trip for our anniversary. The cute little bed and breakfast we stayed in offered us a free wine-tasting card. As young parents of a toddler, we stretched every bit out of that free card!

At one particular winery, we were offered a tour with a brilliant and patient guide. I asked him a zillion questions and gained tremendous insight into the significance of what Jesus taught in John 15 where Jesus said, “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.”

That day, the guide told me that though I saw water lines along the vines, the vineyard did its best to water the vines as little as possible. “We make our vines chase the water in the ground. As the water comes through the roots in the ground rather than a sprinkler, the vine grows stronger and produces better grapes for wine purposes.”

Similarly, according to Jesus, the fruitfulness of our efforts only comes as we remain connected to Him like a grape branch is tied into the life of the vine. This means the secret of our success during a new beginning is not in our willpower, but rather in our enduring connection to Him.

The word “remain” or “abide” is an English translation of the Greek word “meno.” This word appears eleven times in John 15 and forty times in John’s Gospel overall. The dictionary definition for meno is “an inward enduring personal communion.” It is obvious to me that it was incredibly important to Jesus that we remain in Him. I love how my friend and fellow author, Steve Carter, applies this idea. He says, “Keep the main thing the remain thing.”

In your new beginning, you’re going to go to great effort to move forward. There will be days when you say “yes” or “no” because what you want now pales in comparison to what you want later. There will be moments when you work long hours or continue pressing forward when it would be easier to give up. You may open your Bible, show up to a therapy session, or close your eyes to pray, while asking yourself, “Will this make any difference?”

Just as it was impossible for me to see immediate changes as I stared at those grape vines, it may be impossible to see immediate changes from where you stand today. But just because you don’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s not happening.

I believe God is at work in the middle of your new beginning. As we read on Day 1, He is capable of exceedingly more than you ask or imagine in your life. The impact of your efforts, actions, disciplines, and practices is completely dependent on your ability to “keep the main thing the remain thing.”

Sure, it would be easier if God removed the struggles and difficulties you’re facing today. But God’s goal is not for you to have it easy. As Jesus said, His goal is to bear a large volume of fruit in your life. “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” God can use the difficulty in your life to build an enduring communion with you personally.

The secret to your efforts as you start over is remaining in Him. What you’re seeking to do in this season of your life matters and it's bigger than you can accomplish on your own. So, I’m praying for you to do all you can to remain in Him.

I’m excited for the final day in this reading plan tomorrow, where I’ll share how your approach to prayer can set you up for discouragement or hope.