Everyone desires happiness, but relatively few find it. Our materialistic world rushes on with its eternal quest for the fountain of happiness. The more economic security we gain, the more bored and insecure we become. Social workers, pastors, psychiatrists, and psychologists fill their hours trying to help desperate, unhappy people. Americans spend billions on new homes, furniture, appliances, autos and recreational equipment. A variety of radio and television programs are available to multitudes at the switch of a dial, and people pass away the hours watching sporting events, professional jokesters, and other forms of entertainment. Yet many are unhappy! Nervous breakdowns, suicides, broken homes, drug addiction, alcoholism, and unrest are the hallmarks of our time. Behind the façade of gaiety lies a deep and prevailing sense of loneliness and anxiety. Why are so many people unhappy?

The answer is in the Bible. It tells us that man was created in the likeness of God with the purpose of living a holy life in fellowship with God. But humanity is now fallen and sinful, alienated from God and needing forgiveness. The first step toward a happy life must be a spiritual one. If we desire to escape from frustration, failure and fear, we must be right with God. We need to have confidence in His existence, possess the assurance that our sins are forgiven, and receive strength to overcome the evils that mar our lives.

In spite of our problem with sin, every one of us has experienced how great it is to feel joyful. It is wonderful to be happy. But God wants more for us than fleeting moments of happiness. He wants us to have joy full and deep enough so we can remain joyful even when circumstances may not be conducive to happiness. Jesus spoke to His disciples about joy when He was on His way to the cross. Paul and Silas sang for joy in the dungeon while the blood was oozing from their backs because of the severe beating they had received for preaching the message of the gospel of Christ.

Suppose you were a journalist living at the time of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon the early Christians, and you were given the assignment by your editor to write an article on the topic, "How to Teach the Christians to Be Sad." Think how difficult this task would be. Here was a group of vibrant, excited Christians who radiated joy everywhere they went. Even when their enemies tried to put a lid on their joy, it just bubbled up again and again. Christ's promise came true for them. He had promised a constant supply of joy to all who believed in Him.

Jesus was emphatically clear that the source of a joyful spirit is found by abiding in Him and living one's life for the pleasure of God, our Creator and Redeemer. He repeatedly emphasized that joy is not found in the material things that we possess, but in the things that pertain to God.

The mission of God is to win the lost for Christ. Amil Bruner, a renowned German theologian, said that the church is the only organization that exists for the outsiders, its non-members, and the temptation always facing the church is to exist for its members. Some would say, "Let's exist for ourselves and be happy. Think how much easier and more comfortable things would become." But Jesus said the joy is in sharing the Good News of His salvation with others. Jesus said, "Work, go, give and teach. Make disciples." He promised rejection, opposition, weariness of mind and body, and even persecution and suffering. But He also promised joy! A joy so overwhelming that all negative difficulties would be overcome with rejoicing in light of the glory to follow. We need to sense in our spirits when the angles of heaven are rejoicing and sing along!

Did Jesus experience rejection and persecution? He certainly did. Did Jesus know what it was like to be forsaken by His followers? He certainly did. At one time Jesus had seventy disciples who followed Him daily and helped Him with His ministry of proclaiming the kingdom of God. Jesus divided them up two by two, gave them His authority to preach the message of the kingdom of God and heal the sick and cast out demons, and He sent them into the villages beyond Jerusalem. Then criticism began pouring in from the chief priests and the religious rulers. Followers of Jesus began to be banned from the synagogue. Deserters fell from Jesus' ranks until only twelve remained, and one of them stayed with Jesus for all the wrong reasons. Jesus turned to His faithful few and asked the question, "Will you also go away?" Peter responded by saying, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."

The world says that joy can be found through a change in circumstances: take a vacation, earn more money, spend more money, or save more money. Or even more popular today is the thought that we should resolve to change ourselves or our circumstances to become happier. Self-help books abound that suggest how we can discover our "new selves" and become more enlightened.

Jesus had a different formula for joy. He said, "These things I have spoken unto you that your joy might be full." He was talking about becoming fruitful disciples by abiding in Him as branches abide on a vine. Some people can walk through a forest and can identify most of the trees by their bark and leaves. I can't do that. But, if I see an apple hanging on a tree, I know that I'm looking at an apple tree. Jesus made it clear that fruitfulness and joy in the Christian life go together. The source of this life is our Lord and Christ. Fruit is the product of what God does in and through us, and experiencing ourselves as channels through which the love and grace and compassion of Jesus flows is a source of tremendous joy. Seeing a harvest of fruit springing forth from the work of God in us brings incredible joy.

Jesus said, "I am the true Vine and My Father is the Vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it, that it may bear more fruit." The Father has a knife that cuts and He uses it to make us more fruitful. Grape growers cut back young branches so they will expend their energy in becoming more firmly entrenched in the vine. Just so, God the Father cuts the leaves away so that we might become even more fruitful.

When you look at a vineyard just after the branches have been cut back, it looks as if the vinedresser has been absolutely ruthless. Scattered on the ground are bright green leaves, and bare stems almost appear to be bleeding from the sharp knife. To the untrained eye, it seems extremely wasteful. But not one stroke is done at random without purpose. All that cutting away is scientifically designed so the plant might bring forth more fruit.

And how does our Father cut back the branches? He uses the Word of God and the circumstances of life. The Word of God is His knife. If we were more willing to allow the Word of God to prune us, we would experience the joy of a bountiful harvest. As far as God is concerned, there is no reason for us to live, except to bear fruit. If we are not faithful in this, God deems us worthless. This discourse of Jesus about the vine and the branches tells us that God is concerned about one thing in our lives - fruitfulness.

Since the wood of the branches of grapes is worthless, it is simply taken and burned. If you think your purpose in life is to do as you please, you are wrong. If your reason for living is tied to your own personal fulfillment and pleasure, you are wrong. Fruit bearing is God's single overriding concern for you. And if you don't bear fruit for Him, the bottom line is that you are worthless to Him.

The key to fruit bearing is relationship. It is total dependence upon the Vine. Christ becomes our source of life. Not the physical life we were born with that can exist by choice apart from God, but an inner, divine spiritual life that is birthed by our conscious decision to choose Christ as our Savior and Lord and choose to abide in constant attached relationship to Him. Christ alone is the source of salvation from sin and eternal life in this world.

Precisely how much can the branch do without the vine? Absolutely nothing! Christians who concentrate on doing good works, rather than their relationship with Christ are missing the point of Christ's teaching. It is not a matter of what we do, but a matter of who works through us, that determines whether we are fruit-bearing Christians or not. Whatever we do independently of Christ is as worthless as dead wood.

Andrew Murray emphasized that there is a big difference between work and fruit in the Christian life. A machine can do work; only life can bear fruit. A law can force one to work; only life can spontaneously bring forth fruit.

Abiding in Christ is not dependent upon our feelings, or our mood of the moment. It is a matter of faith wherein our love for Christ is lived out by remaining in His presence and obeying His commands. Christ becomes the air we breathe. He becomes the focus of our thoughts. We yield to His leading in our lives and make ourselves available to God in prayer. Thus, even in the most trying circumstances, we can focus our minds on Christ and be strengthened and encouraged, knowing that we are one with Him, sharing His life, experiencing His grace and bringing forth fruit for His pleasure and glory.

Frank H. Leaman, Pastor

West Shore Church of the Brethren