
I am a California transplant to Wisconsin (oh, there went any Wisconsin readership☺️), now 32+ years in. I mention this because I’m sometimes reminded that I am “from the land of fruit and nuts” (we supposedly also hug trees, and feed the deer just so we can look at them). Be that as it may…
For one who claims to be a disciple of Jesus, to be known as “fruity”, is not only a good thing, it is the very evidence that we have truly surrendered our lives in worship and service to Christ. Listen to His words to the Disciples, in John 15:7-8:
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. |
“My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. |
There are times when I feel very fruitless, that all my efforts, both “ministerially” and personally, amount to, at best, “wood, hay and stubble” (I Corinthians 3:12b) — and sometimes that may indeed be the case.
That said, it struck me the other day that spiritual fruit (Galatians 5:22-23), isn’t always measured by ruler and scale. Indeed, it may very well be that my fruitiest times are when I have nothing visibly quantifiable to show for all my efforts, and I have surrendered my strivings, and brought my weary heart to the feet of Jesus in worship.
The amazing thing about the above scripture verses is this: “…and it will be DONE FOR you…”. What He desires most is that I abide / remain / commune / hang out with Him. Hmm…now that sounds totally doable! By the way: We don’t PRODUCE the (read: “His”) fruit; we BEAR it — as we yield to (cooperate with) the Spirit, He does the work in us (please read Matthew 11:28-30).
So, true to my CA roots…I’m going to be just “nuts” enough to run to Jesus when I can’t SEE any fruit, and singly, trustingly, even radically worship Him. Perhaps, that is when I am the “fruitiest” of all (read: Habakkuk 3:17-19 & Mark 14:3-9).
Your servant,
Brian
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