When we think about New Year’s resolutions, what probably comes to mind is a list of lofty ambitions we rarely achieve (80 percent of New Year’s resolutions are already abandoned by mid-February). Author Amy Wilson suggests a better idea might be to reject entirely “the idea that we have to fix ourselves before our lives can get better.” Wilson suggests that, instead of adding commitments, we see the new year as an opportunity to do less, to finally “start saying no” to some of the “oversized and ongoing commitments that take our time and energy without giving us much in return.”
In a world of constant pressure to do and be more, it can be easy to miss the radically different rhythm of life Jesus invited His disciples into—one of abiding in Him. In John 15, Jesus described Himself as “the true vine” (v. 1) and His disciples as “the branches” (v. 5).
Vine branches don’t grow through working harder but through the nourishment received from the vine. So, too, the growth we long for can only be experienced when we let go of self-reliance in exchange for resting in and finding nourishment in Christ, for “apart from [Him] you can do nothing” (v. 5).
Through Jesus, we have hope for a life of less anxiety. Less striving. And more resting in God’s love and letting it flow to those around us (vv. 12, 17).
What might God be leading you to say no to this year? In what areas of your life might God be inviting you to greater surrender?
Gracious God, please help me surrender my self-reliance to rest in You.
For further study, read How God Loves Us.
Jesus used an agricultural metaphor of a vine and its branches to depict our dependent relationship with God and Christ. The key word in John 15:4-12 is the verb menō, translated “remain” or “abide” (esv). It carries the meaning of “living,” “dwelling,” “abiding.” It can also mean “to be in a state that begins and continues.” Menō stresses the primacy of our union in Christ and our communion with, dependence on, and obedience to Him. Only Jesus can provide us with the grace and vitality for productivity as we stay connected to Him. In John’s first epistle, he directs us back to the vine-branches metaphor: “Whoever claims to live [menō] in him must live as Jesus did” (1 John 2:6). As we learn to abide in Him, we can surrender our self-reliance and trust Him to work through us.
