Once upon a time, Stan the branch was stuck on the trunk of a thick oak tree. Stan’s leaves were beautiful, but sometimes as he looked down on the world, he wondered what it would be like to go wherever and do whatever he wanted. That’s why when a fierce wind whipped through the air, Stan leaned into it until—snap!—he broke free from the trunk. He dropped into a soft bed of green grass and laughed as the wind rolled him to places he had never been before. That night Stan fell asleep in his plush bed with stars twinkling overhead. It felt thrilling to be free.

But in the morning, Stan felt … dry. Thirsty. Weak. Days passed, and the thirst got worse. His back tightened up, and his fingers turned brittle. One day a man walked up to Stan and saw not a branch but a dried up, leafless stick, good for little else than to be burned in a fire.

Jesus, full of truth and love, told a similar story to his friends: “If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. … Now remain in my love” (John 15:6,9). Branches are not independent beings. They die in their independence. We do too. That’s why Jesus wants you to remain in his love, in his Word, to stick now and forever to his unchanging truth. 

Please don’t become a stick. Instead, stick with Jesus!