Over the past year or so, the desire to become an abundantly fruitful branch in God’s orchard has really grown within me. But I keep having to remind myself that I don’t produce the fruit. God produces the fruit.
What I’m responsible for is making sure I’m in a position to bear fruit, that my heart is fertile soil that’s been broken and plowed up through repentance and surrender (Hosea 10:12; Jeremiah 4:3; Matthew 13:1-23), and that my roots are being firmly planted in Him (Colossians 2:7).
Any time I start focusing more on what I’m doing rather than who I’m being (or not being), I have to remind myself, “Roots before Fruits, Abigail.” Roots before Fruits.
If my heart isn’t plowed-up, fertile soil, and if my life isn’t a system of firmly grounded roots, then how can I even hope to ever bear fruit, much less abundant fruit?
The more I think about putting down roots before producing fruits in my own life, the more I ponder the current state of Christianity as a whole.
Would there be fewer hostile online arguments between believers if we took time to root ourselves more deeply in Him, thereby providing an opportunity for the Holy Spirit to produce the fruits of love, patience, kindness, and gentleness within us?
Would there be more hearts won to Him if we allowed our roots to go deeper before trying to “witness”? Would we see less need for using witnessing words because we’re living witnessing lives? Lives filled with the fruits of joy, peace, goodness, faithfulness, self-control?
Speaking of which, how much of God’s love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are we given access to?
If these things are the “Fruit of the Spirit,” and all believers have the Holy Spirit within them, then the question becomes, how much of the Holy Spirit do we have within us?
How much access do we have to Him?
How much power do we have through Him?
How much potential do we have in Him?
I hope we know the answer to all of these questions: We have all we need to live as fruitful Christians planted within us by the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation. So if that “seed” planted within us at the point of salvation has the potential to bear much fruit - then why don’t we have more abundantly fruitful Christians in the world?
There are many reasons, but here are two that came to my mind as I asked myself that question:
We don’t give the seed what it needs to grow, such as time with the Lord in His Word and in prayer.
We quench the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives and hinder Him from growing us, pruning us, and producing fruit within us.
Some examples of how we do the above:
not spending time with Him (John 15:1-5)
leaning on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-7)
living according to the world’s perspectives and ways (1 Corinthians 2:6-16)
not humbling ourselves under God’s mighty hand (1 Peter 5:6)
looking out for our own interests while ignoring others’ needs (Philippians 2:3-4)
If we want to see more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control flow to us, we must open up the floodgates and let Him do His work in us.
Then instead of building a dam to keep all the goodness to ourselves, we must open up more floodgates and allow His love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control to flow through us to bless others.
We’ve got the seed - the potential - to be fruitful, abundantly fruitful. Let’s let Him water us, prune us, and prepare us to bear fruit for Him.
And always remember: Fruitful living is rootful living. We put down our roots (abide) and He produces the fruits!
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Hi! I'm Abigail, your real-talk Christian life coach and faith mentor. I believe we're on this earth for a reason, and I LOVE helping people realize and live that truth so that they can reach their God-given potential in all areas of life.
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