SHARING
MY REFLECTION
By Louie Escuban
“Remain in me, as I
remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless
it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in
him will bear fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Anyone
who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and
wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they
will be burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask
for whatever you want and it will be done for you.” (John
15:4)
The meaning of this Scripture passage is that living without GOD is impossible. It means that we should have faith in GOD and love Him just as He loves us. We cannot be successful and get through life without GOD. If we keep our faith in GOD we will be successful and we will be able to get through all the obstacles and challenges life holds against us.
The passage talks about how we will fail if we do not trust in GOD. People who do not stay true to GOD will end up hurting themselves. People who mistrust GOD will feel abandoned and they will be put down by others. Without the strength of GOD, people won’t have the power to stand up for themselves and for what is right. With GOD by your side, all vulnerability will be erased.
The last verse is “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.” This verse means that if people put their trust and faith in GOD and if GOD’s Words remain in them, then anything people desire can be achieved. It means that when someone asks for help, GOD will deliver. It means that GOD will always be there for you and love you.
I chose this passage because to me this passage is very meaningful. It always reminds me to trust in GOD and to never forget Him. During times of difficulty I find it helpful to read this passage because it gives me comfort. In my life I’ve had times when I lost my faith in GOD. Every time I feel like that I read this passage and it always reminds me that without GOD life can become unbearable. I noticed that in times when I lost faith, I had some difficulty. I promised myself that I would never let my trust in GOD waver. This passage always keeps me on the right track.
There’s one particular verse that always captures my attention. “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.”
To me this verse has so many meanings. I realize that if you ask GOD for something He can give it to you. When I say anything I don’t mean materialistic things, I mean things like trust, friendship, love and happiness. I learned once that if you ask GOD to show His love for you, He will in one way or another. From personal experience I learned that any problem can be solved with GOD by your side.
Editor’s Note: The author wrote this article for her Religion class for which she received an EXCELLENT mark. She is 14 years old and in grade nine at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Secondary School. Louise and her parents, Larry and Joji Escuban migrated to Canada (from Jakarta) in July 2004. They now live in Missisauga in the Greater Toronto Area.