Day 5: The Cause, Not Just the Outcome

Reading: John 15:1-11

Devotional: Community is beautiful. Love is transformative. Justice is essential. But these are outcomes, not the cause. The cause is Jesus Christ. We don't come to faith for the benefits package—we come because we're desperately in love with a God who first loved us. When we confuse outcomes with the cause, our faith becomes transactional: I'll follow Jesus if he makes my life better. But true faith says: I'll follow Jesus because he is good, whether my circumstances are or not. Abiding in Christ, remaining connected to the vine, produces fruit naturally. We don't manufacture love, joy, peace, and justice; they flow from our connection to him. This Advent, as we prepare for Christmas, let's return to the cause: Jesus himself, Emmanuel, God with us.

Reflection: Have I been seeking Jesus for what he gives me, or for who he is? What would it look like to abide more deeply in Christ this week?