Do we ever stop to analyze the inventory of fruit stemming from our lives? I really think we are put here on this earth to be what Scripture says in Genesis 1:28 to go be "fruitful and multiply." I take this concept of fruit quite literally. Like if your goal in life is to make a difference in some type of way... chances are you truly desire a life of fruitfulness and impact. Chances are you probably want to carve out pieces of this earth and leave a mark on the people and places you encounter.
To analyze this concept of fruit, we have to look at the pruning behind the farming to cultivate fruit. Just a little Scripture context that inspired my writing and has caused me to take a more humble and introspective stance at my own personal fruit -->
John 15: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me."
We need to realize that the times of pruning are just as important as the times of harvesting the fruitfulness of whatever you're doing in life. Because, without a good ol' mean pruning you can't reap a vaster harvest that you were poised for in the season of your life you're in. Because while Jesus was PRUNING (through rebuke, failure, challenge, pressure, serving, etc.) His disciples. As He was doing this, He was simultaneously raising them up as leaders at the same time. Because, these disciples probably weren't ready to lead with Level 10 humility when they operated and spoke as if they lived with Level 10 pride.
Thus, pruning was FOR their benefit.
Mind you, these were some uneducated regular human beings that Jesus was raising up and developing towards people aimed at purpose and mission because God is a God who knows how to raise up WARRIORS and LEADERS for His purposes. So, when we get pruned and crushed and hit failure... that's a GOOD thing. We can expect more fruit because of that.
So, in taking a deeper look at pruning and Scripture, we see the first job ever given to a person, AKA Adam, was to TEND the garden of Eden. When you tend a garden, you plant, harvest, prune, etc. Adam, like us, was made to work and be FRUITFUL and one day MULTIPLY.
The question it comes down to is WHAT contributes to a HARVEST?
1: Soil: Did the seeds actually get planted in good soil?
BAD soil can be correlated with desertification, no depth, being over used, no life inside, and is difficult to grow life in this type of soil. You plant a seed here and it may or may not sprout. Not your average Farmer John here, but the harvest is gonna' be lower... Soil, thus, can be compared to the state of where your personal heart is and how you're really doing. This is especially hard if we've poured into someone, and as a result of them having bad soil or the seed never taking root, we didn't see any fruit from it/them. But the soil quality or where the seed FELL is not our JOB, that's God's. Our job is to DISCERN the quality of the soil and keep trying to plant seed there, whether at work, in ministry, in life, in our families, etc.
2: Rain, water, nutrients.
Everyone knows the farmers gotta' shift/rotate the crops between seasons because certain plants grow better in key seasons of rain.
So, they plant in rainy seasons or dry seasons to grow things. No rain/sun = no growth. For many Christians out there: not spending enough time in the Word of God or in the presence of God = a dry faith without consistent growth. Moreover, not nurturing the business you have with time/$$$ = less growth, too. Not allocating time pouring into friendships that are good can keep us relationally stagnant. But you and I both know we can't control the rain on our harvest, we can only control how often we WATER what we've planted. So, I can plant seeds, I can water what I've planted, but I don't have dominion over the level of growth the plants hit even if I've dumped fertilizers or pesticides on my plants. Growth is, thus, God's job. "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God gave the growth." 1 Corinthians 3:6.
For many of us, even if we've poured out all we've got into our friendships, businesses, jobs, we can't be solely fixated on the outcome of growth. Because, growth comes in seasons. Us, like plants, grow in spurts. Now, if we're consistently abiding in the Source of the supply of nutrients, season after season, planted deep, we will reach a deep harvest in what it is we are doing.
So, whether it's rainy season, dry season, hurricane season, Sharknado season, monsoon season, we can trust that the God of the harvest is in control of the level of fruit and is painting the mosaic of lessons/fruit in the season we're in!
3: If you used a hoe, your gonna' get SUBSISTENCE agriculture. The tool/platform create the surplus, but it takes time for that.
Before SURPLUS, we had to understand how to use hoes/animals to til' the soil, we didn't just jump to large scale agricultural equipment without understanding the NEED behind feeding the increase of population. So, over time we transitioned over to surplus agriculture. We hit surplus over time and increased capacity to meet a need of food supply for a boomin' population. So, the fruit increased by the change in platform or process. We didn't have the capabilities of large scale farming at the time. Subsistence --> SURPLUS was what we were capable of and graced for. We shifted from feeding families to feeding a whole society. Surplus agriculture, thus, wasn't solely about the farmer, but it was about feeding and meeting the needs of masses of people. Jesus' ministry was never about Him, but about the people He was serving and trying to reach.
4: Are the seeds GMO or are they regular seeds?
This points to the platform the impact lays on. Its the method you choose to plant with. One has potential for greater fruit but also BRINGS with it the most resistance to its use.
Quick history lesson reminder that before GMO seeds, we were using regular seeds as a society until innovation came. Before SURPLUS, we were at subsistence farming. Because before planting seeds of faith in people's lives, you had to get SAVED yourself! Thus, the source affects the level of the harvest... whether or not you keep abiding in the source affects it (supplier problems, inconsistent purchasing of product, etc.), too. Like a pastor can't run a full time ministry without spending time with the Source behind his ministry.
Anyways, not everyone out there likes eating GMO food, but when it reaches/feeds the most people... then what? Like Jesus preaching from city to city was met with considerable opposition even though that platform allowed Him a greater reach and for more 'spiritual' fruit to be cultivated. People questioned Him for healing people on Sundays! WHAT?!? Questioning someone's FRUITFUL impact when He was delivering BREAKTHROUGH in people's lives.
BUT, this greater fruit concept is REAL! If God prunes us like the verse in John 15:2 says He does in order for us to bear MORE fruit and God delivering one of the first commands to humans by commanding Adam/Eve in Genesis 1:28 to "Go be FRUITFUL and MULTIPLY."
This can only lead us to a conclusion that we WEREN'T made for SUBSISTENCE... but we were made with IMPACT or SURPLUS in mind!
Conclusion:
Is this another silly call to action/conclusion? You bet!
I think if we live a life of SUBSISTENCE, we'll always have the mindset of subsistence that we think our fruit/impact was ONLY for us and our families/friends. Here's the thing... regardless of whatever you believe (I'm not here to impose my beliefs on you) we WEREN'T made for SUBSISTENCE, we were made for SURPLUS. We are innovators and pioneers meant to develop and help people. So, we gotta keep planting, tillin', and workin' the soil and seeds and that praying that the seeds GROW!
Comments