Friends, Don't Let Your Work Be Fruitless
Hustle. It’s a trendy word today. We see influencers on social media bragging about their success and selling courses so others can follow their steps and achieve the same.
As Christians, many of us have applied this thinking to our ministries and our daily walks of faith.
If we follow the formula laid out in the most popular Christian book then we too could achieve great things for God! If we do steps 1,2,3 then our families will thrive, we won’t struggle financially, and our churches will overflow.
We hustle and strive to do so many good things and we end up getting burnt out. Or worse, we end up succeeding and believing the lie that it was because of something we did in our own strength.
The danger in all this is: that it’s possible to do great things “for” God without actually letting Him be involved in the process.
“Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep,” Psalm 127:1-2, ESV.
We all want our lives on this earth to count. Whether we are a stay-at-home mom or a pastor of a thriving church, we all want to see the impact we are having on the Kingdom. The trouble is, sometimes our desire to see that impact is so great we try to do it our own without asking Him what He wants for us!
The life of a Christ follower is 100 percent spiritual. There is nothing we can accomplish in our flesh (John 6:63). God will often ask us to do something that seems impossible so He can get the glory.
If we want to produce fruit in our lives, the only thing we have to do is surrender and allow the Holy Spirit to do it in us. The beautiful thing about this is we can actually accomplish amazing things out of a place of spiritual rest.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit,” Galatians 5:22-25, ESV.
A peach tree doesn’t strive to produce fruit, it simply does. As long as it has sunshine and water the peaches will come, it is its nature.
In the same way, when we exchange our lives and allow the Holy Spirit to live in us, we won’t be able to help but produce fruit!
If it seems like a dry season make sure your face is turned towards the sun (Jesus) and that you are getting properly watered by soaking in His Word. Then, trust God that He will produce an abundant harvest through you in just the right season.
