Have you ever wondered, Why do I keep doing this when I know better?
You want to be rooted in Jesus. You love Him. You want to live His Word. You want to be healthier, have more peace, and stop falling back into the same old habits.
But somehow, you keep finding yourself in the same place.
You start a new routine. You promise yourself this time will be different. You get motivated, make a plan, and do everything you think you’re supposed to do.
And then life happens.
The stress comes. The schedule gets busy. The old thoughts and habits creep back in.
What if the problem isn’t that you need more discipline? What if it’s what you’re rooted in?
You can follow all the diets, read all the self-help books, listen to all the motivational podcasts, and make all the plans you want.
But none of those things can give you the fruit of the Spirit.
Only God can do that.
You Can’t Bear Fruit Without Being Rooted in Jesus
Jesus tells us in John 15:5 (NKJV):
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”
Think about that.
We want the fruit, but are we growing the roots?
We want peace, but we’re filling our minds with worry.
We want self-control, but we’re looking for another diet to give it to us.
We want joy, but we’re comparing our lives to everyone else’s.
We want to change, but we’re not spending time with the One who changes us.
Galatians 5:22–23 tells us about the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
And here’s what I want you to understand.
You cannot produce the fruit of the Spirit through willpower. The fruit of the Spirit comes from the Holy Spirit.
Jesus didn’t tell us to try harder to bear fruit. He told us to abide in Him.
That’s where real transformation begins.
This is part two of the Holy & Healthy Series. Watch the first episode here.
Join The Holy & Healthy 21-Day Challenge
Where Does Your Mind Go First Thing in the Morning?
Let me ask you two questions.
Where does your mind go first thing in the morning?
And where does it go right before you fall asleep?
Do you immediately reach for your phone?
Start thinking about everything you need to do?
Replay yesterday’s mistakes?
Worry about tomorrow?
I want you to think about how much time we spend allowing our minds to go everywhere except to God.
And then we wonder why we don’t have peace.
Psalm 16:8 (NKJV) says:
“I have set the LORD always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.”
I have set the Lord always before me.
Not just on Sunday.
Not just during my morning devotional.
Always.
Being with Jesus isn’t just a morning thing to do. It’s a mindset. It’s a way of life.
Make Spending Time With God a Daily Habit
One of the most important things I’ve learned is that we don’t have to wait until our lives are quiet to spend time with Jesus.
He’s with us in the middle of our everyday lives.
In Monday morning traffic.
When the kids are making noise and we’re losing our patience.
When we’re stressed about a meeting.
When we’re rushing to get a workout in.
When we’re standing in the kitchen trying to figure out what to eat.
He’s there.
But are we turning our attention to Him?
Dallas Willard taught about intentionally directing our attention back to God. John Mark Comer also writes about practicing the presence of Jesus throughout our daily lives.
I love this because it reminds us that being with Jesus isn’t something we check off a list.
It’s a relationship.
And relationships require time and attention.
Neuroplasticity describes our brain’s ability to adapt and change through experience and repetition. Repeated patterns of thinking and behaving can become more established over time.
And while brain science doesn’t produce spiritual transformation, it reminds us why what we practice matters.
Romans 12:2 calls us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.
So what does this look like?
It means opening your Bible before you open your phone.
Turning to God when your thoughts begin spiraling instead of allowing worry to take over.
Remembering who you are in Christ when comparison creeps in.
Stopping in the middle of a busy day and saying, “Jesus, I need You. Help me.”
You don’t have to wait until your life is quiet to be with Jesus.
You can practice turning your mind and heart back to Him right where you are.
Jesus Wants You to Come to Him Just as You Are
I recently shared a post about the woman at the well in John 4, and I couldn’t believe how many women shared it.
I think it resonated because we’re all the woman at the well.
Jesus knows our past.
He knows our secrets.
He knows the mistakes we’ve made and the things we wish we could change.
And He loves us anyway.
I think about how many women are waiting until they feel good enough to spend time with God.
They think they need to stop doing this, start doing that, become more disciplined, or get their lives together first.
But Jesus met the woman at the well right where she was.
And He offered her living water.
Friend, you don’t need to have everything figured out to sit with Jesus.
You don’t need a perfect prayer or a perfect morning routine.
You just need to come to Him.
And the more time you spend with Him, the more you begin to know His voice, His Word, and His truth.
That’s how your roots grow deeper.
Because we don’t become rooted in Jesus by hearing about Him once a week.
We grow those roots by spending time with Him. By knowing His Word. By trusting Him. By choosing Him in the middle of real life.
Psalm 51:10 says, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
What a beautiful prayer.
Not, Lord, help me become who the world says I should be.
Not, Lord, help me finally look good enough or achieve enough.
But, Lord, create in me a clean heart. Renew my spirit. Help me become the woman You created me to be.
That’s what living holy and healthy means to me.
Not perfection. Not performance.
A heart and mind set on Jesus, and a life that reflects Him.
You cannot bear fruit if you’re not rooted in Jesus.
So spend time with Him. Sit with Him. Talk to Him. Bring Him into your everyday life.
Because the more you abide in Jesus, the more your life will reflect Him.
And remember, whatever you’re facing, go to God first.
With love in Christ,
