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Are you being Fruitful?

30th April 2010 by Rusty Hodges

Confession Time

OK, I admit I like watching 20 to 1. It's corny but hey I like it. A few weeks back I was watching the show 20 to 1 sporting anthems. I loved how the commentators described one of the songs anthems.

Now when I say the movie title 'Chariots of fire' – does your mind instantly go to slow motion running scenes along a windy beach? As soon as we hear the soundtrack we are taking back to scenes like this.

Sometimes when we spend time with God on our own or at a conference we want life to go in slow motion much like the movie. We don't want it to end. We want to savour every moment, take in every movement, and escape from reality for just one more minute.

As much as we enjoy those mountain top experiences, where we feel God closely and intimately, we need to come down from the mountain to show God's working in our life and his love and mercy to others.

It is not enough to merely exist in mountain top experiences, even though they have their place. It's in real life that our faith in proven. We've just held our territorial youth ministry conference and for me it was a great time of teaching, fellowship and God's presence. While it would be easy to stay in a place like that, it's not what it is all about.

Bearing Fruit

John 15:5... Jesus says "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in Him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."

He goes on to write in v16... "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last."

To bear fruit is a process. It takes time to grow. It's in the growing that the fruit is borne. While spending time with God helps us grow and bear fruit it is not until we live out our faith, that our fruit is proven.

We train for it much like an athlete. The highs in life are great experiences, but it's in the valleys that our strength in developed. Our job as John has written to go and bear fruit. How we go about that is to simply remain in Christ; for in him we will bear much fruit.

The God Fruit

The kinds of fruit that God wants to develop in us are things like: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Gal 5:22-23)

While the mountain top, feel good experiences are nice. The outcome of those times, that we wish would never end, is for fruit to be produced.

So next time you find yourself dreaming in slow motion in an inspiring moment (such as sound track to 'Chariots of fire') think a little through what fruit is being borne in your life. And ask God again to do his work of bearing fruit in your life

Till next time

Rusty Hodges