Bear Fruit

Although pruning is painful, it promotes growth.

9/9/20262 min read

Whenever we need to cover for someone, it can be overwhelming. Suddenly, we have to add their tasks to our already full workload. It's daunting to do both roles. Still, we try to juggle everything and just get through the day. It’s exhausting! By the end of the day, we’re beat.

Sometimes it takes the absence of someone to appreciate all they do. We never realize all the responsibilities they carry until we walk in their shoes. It’s pretty eye-opening when we experience a day in their life.

Perhaps it’s a wonderful way to build a sense of compassion? We see things through their lenses and understand where they’re coming from. Then, whenever they talk to us about their day, we totally understand their viewpoint and can empathize on a much deeper level.

God allows us to experience many things, so we grow in Him. The more we have opportunities that challenge our fruitfulness, the closer we grow to God and the more fruit we bear in our lives.

Even though growth is painful, it’s very rewarding. It’s exciting to see how God works in our lives when we yield to Him. When we surrender ourselves to Him, we grow spiritually and our fruitfulness abounds.

“We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.” Colossians 1:9-12

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” John 15:5-8

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23

“By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” Matthew 7:16-20