A Fruitful Life
A Fruitful Life
. . . filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God. (Phil. 1:11)
A Life That Counts
Every man wants his life to count, to be successful, to make a difference in our short time on this planet. The problem is, our desire for success is often mixed with selfish ambition and pride. If we’re honest, sometimes we want others to think well of us more than we want to put forth the effort to actually be people worthy of respect and admiration.
This desire for success, impact, and respect is as true for Christians as for anyone else. The difference is, we know that our definition of success needs to be redefined as faithfulness to Christ. We know we must live righteous lives characterized by much fruit-bearing, giving glory to God. But how do we do that?
A Better Way
The way to bear fruit for God is actually not to set out to bear fruit for God. Sure, we need to have a desire to bear fruit, but it’s not something we can just go out and do in our own strength. Instead, we bear fruit by staying closely connected to God in our daily living and by being willing to do whatever He wants us to do. Of course, we probably won’t have all the specifics we’d like—God doesn’t give us a blueprint for our entire life—but we can always be praying and seeking and doing the next right thing. Our fruit comes only through our relationship with Jesus.
Bottom Line
Ministry is always done in the name of Jesus and in His power. He produces fruit through us. Make sure you stay close to Him.