The vine in this allegory in Ezekiel 15 is effectively just a weed; it produces nothing of value and just spreads without contributing anything where it goes. Weeds can grow tall and strong; they can take over large areas of territory, but no matter how prevalent and successful they become, they are still just weeds. You might be the most successful person in the world but if you are not fruitful for God’s purpose then it is all in vain. You would be just like a very successful weed. Success is no indication of a life well lived. What matters is fruitfulness. Are the people who you live, work and socialise with blessed by your presence? Are you helping others to become better people? Is your life an expression of God’s purpose? These are the things that matter the most. Do not assess your life by how much luxury you enjoy and how much better you are than others. Weeds take up a lot of ground and they suck up large amounts of the nutrients, but it avails nothing. In the end they just drain what might be used by more fruitful plants. What matters in life is not how much you gain but how much you give. We tend to assess our success in terms of income. But God wants us to assess our lives by outflow. A good year is not a year in which much is earned but in which much is given. A great life is a life of great outflow. It is a life that leaves blessing in its wake.
Reflect on your life in the light of this. Ask God to help you to be fruitful for his purpose in all that you do.
Read Ezekiel 15
