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Are you producing for God?
Ever wonder how some people are able to accomplish so much? What makes them so productive? Fast-forward to the end of your own life. What will it take for you to be able to say, ‘I led a productive life. I did exactly what I set out to do’? What do you consider to be a productive life? More importantly, do you know God’s definition of a productive life?
In the Bible, another word used for ‘productive’ is ‘fruitful’. Let’s take some time to think about what it means to be a fruitful Christian. The word ‘fruit’ occurs sixty-six times in the New Testament. Three different kinds of fruit are referred to: the kind we eat (such as figs and grapes); biological fruit (children); and spiritual fruit (a Christ-like character). The Bible defines spiritual fruit as nine things: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (see Galatians 5:22-23 NLT). These are the kinds of fruit that God wants produced in our lives. That’s how He defines a productive life.
Jesus said, ‘This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples’ (John 15:8 NIV). The proof that we are disciples of Jesus is that we bear spiritual fruit. We can often be good ‘fruit inspectors’ when it comes to examining the lives of others. But what we really need to focus on is the kind of fruit that’s growing in our own lives. To know how fruitful you are, examine what’s growing in your life. Are you growing into a more Christ-like character? If you like what you see, keep doing what you’re doing. If you don’t, pray, ‘Father, help me to grow only the fruit that glorifies you.’
What Now?
Have a think about what your idea of a productive, fruitful life is. How much does it line up with God’s definition? What might you need to change to bring your idea in line with God’s?
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