GOD’S PICTURE OF A FRUITFUL CHRISTIAN (1)
GOD’S PICTURE OF A FRUITFUL CHRISTIAN (1)
Everyone wants to be fruitful, we claim this everyday. The first Word spoken to a man at creation was, “Be fruitful and multiply.” But it seems this statement is an illusion, today’s Christians have cried many times to become fruitful, yet unattained. Why? What does it then take to bear fruit? And what does it mean to become fruitful? And when does one attain fruitfulness - the multiplicity of a fruitful life? In this series, we will not only achieve fruitfulness, we will also understand what it means to be fruitful.
The word, “fruitfulness” is a three word knit together – fruit, fruitful, fruitfulness, which also forms three stages in life. Fruit means excess of life. A tree may bear fruits and not fruitful while at the same time a tree may be fruitful but does not attain fruitfulness. Fruitfulness is the quality of the fruitful, the worth of a fruitful life. Bearing fruits is the forming stage (the knowing stage) – Jeremiah 1:5. Fruitful stage is the sanctification stage while fruitfulness stage is the ordained stage. The first two can be attained by being and taking your position but the third stage is by God.
The knowing Stage is the fruit bearing season (Jeremiah 17:7, 8). If you look at today’s passage, there are three important things to note therein. First, the tree in Jeremiah’s statement is faced with adversities of heat and drought. Second, under these adverse climate conditions, an extraordinary phenomenon took place. In spite of the heat and drought the leaves of the tree remained green and it never missed a fruit-bearing season – this does not occur naturally. Third, the tree has a secret which is, it spread outs its roots by the river.
Haven’t you realized that when you are going through unexplainable circumstance, people around do not notice; at the time, your friends will be saying, “Oh, you are looking nice”, “You are getting fat or becoming more beautiful”, saying all of these when you are going through hell, you wondered, these people don’t know what am passing through. They don’t know and do not be surprised, understand this, at this season of drought and scarcity; your roots are taking a journey to the rivers of water. Something is happening in your life unknown to you and your face or your body represents green leaves, the display screen (while you think you are going through dryness within, others are seeing freshness. This is your knowing stage, the forming stage). You will surely bear fruit. Enjoy a fruitful day.
Word Affirmation: “ And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." - Revelation 21:4 (Don't just say it, mean it!)
“A tree may bear fruits and not fruitful while at the same time a tree may be fruitful but does not attain fruitfulness. Fruitfulness is the quality of the fruitful, the worth of a fruitful life.”
MIND THIS