Fruitfulness pt. 2

How do you measure fruit?

Recently I took the family to Southern California and along the way down highway 5 orchards are a common sight. Since spring was around the corner the trees had blossomed and it looked like snow. Every single blossom represented a fruit or a nut that would eventually be harvested. Just about every orchard that I saw also contained smaller trees, trees that had not yet produced fruit, but they would eventually, they just needed some time.

I believe this is the picture of our lives when Jesus said we are to bear much fruit. Fruit is the litmus test of Christ present and active in my life. Fruit is the condition test of my heart. Fruit is the measuring stick of my maturity. Fruit is the influence test of my character. Fruit is evident in every part of my life. Is my marriage growing? How have I grown as a parent? How have I grown as a Christian, and the list can go on.

I believe you measure fruit in three areas.

1) How is my heart? Without transformation of my heart there is little to any fruit at all and what's there will eventually spoil if the heart is not constantly monitored.

2) How is my growth? They key in seeing if any plant is alive is verifying it's growth it's the same in our lives. Is my marriage, parenting, character, spiritual life growing?

3) Am I duplicating? Is my life producing something in others. Fruit is not too keep it's to give away. Generosity, forgiveness, serving, love, just some of the areas that fruit is easily monitored.

Faithfulness is just showing up, it's showing up to a church, a job, a marriage, and parenting.
Fruitfulness shows up and then some, it produces, it's alive, it's constant and consistent.

"I don't want to just show up in life, I want to show up and then some..."