the vine and the branch

 

The idea of grace has been on my mind as of late. One of the definitions of grace that I love is found in the LDS Bible Dictionary:

“The main idea of the word is divine means of help or strength, given through the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ.

“… It is likewise through the grace of the Lord that individuals, through faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance of their sins, receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means. This grace is an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts” (p. 697).

I love that idea of grace being an "enabling power." It seems clear that I am in constant need of a power greater than myself to make up the difference in virtually every area of my life.  I fall so far short of what I am supposed to be. I remember once hearing the analogy of attempting to climb Mt. Everest and only being able to make it a few feet before one's capacity was spent. At that instant the Savior steps in to carry us the rest of the way to the summit. I live this truth every moment of my life.

I also appreciate the idea taught in John 15 that Christ is the Vine and that I are the branch. At the moment I am spiritually cut off from Him, I die. Or as the Savior puts it in verse 5: "Without me ye can do nothing."

Although there at times seem to be so many reasons to be fearful, the promise He makes regarding His ability to lead me safely through each and every storm is a reassuring one. Even if the storms are of my own making, He is there to shelter and to sustain me.

Just as an angel was sent to "strengthen" the Savior in the awful hours spent in Gethsemane, so He sends His "enabling power" to compensate for all that I lack.