‘‘I chose you…[to] bear fruit – fruit that will last.’’John 15:16
Ever wonder how some people are able to accomplish so much? What makes them so productive? Fast-forward to the end of your own life. What will it take for you to be able to say, ‘I led a productive life. I accomplished what I set out to do’? What do you consider to be a productive life? More importantly, do you know God’s definition of a productive life? Let’s consider what it means to be a fruitful Christian. The word ‘fruit’ occurs sixty-six times in the New Testament. Three different kinds of fruit are referred to: the kind we eat – figs and grapes; biological fruit – infants; and spiritual fruit – Christ-like character. The Bible defines this spiritual fruit as nine things: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (see Galatians 5:22-23). Now you know the kind of fruit that God wants produced in your life. That’s how He defines a productive life. Jesus said, ‘This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples’ (John 15:8). The proof that you are a disciple of Jesus is that you bear spiritual fruit. Perhaps you’re a good ‘fruit inspector’ when it comes to examining the lives of others. But what kind of fruit is growing in your own life? Are you growing more carnal or more Christ-like? To know how fruitful you are, examine what’s growing in your life. If you like what you see, keep doing what you’re doing. If you don’t, get down on your knees and pray, ‘Father, help me to bring forth fruit that glorifies you.’
