Tag: #bearingfruit

Learning to Thrive – not Just Survive

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

We often treat our spiritual lives like a life raft—something to keep us from drowning during a tough week. But what if God didn’t call us to just keep our heads above water? What if the goal wasn’t only to survive until Sunday, but to thrive every single day in the Vine?

In a world where busyness is constant, we need to intentionally slow down and find peace. Achieving peace amid chaos isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. It comes from abiding in God, which is rooted in thriving, not just surviving.

Where busyness is the symptom, striving is the cause, often marked by frantic activity. A branch doesn’t struggle to produce grapes; it stays connected to the vine. Thriving results from spiritual positioning, while survival comes from human effort, which can lead to unnecessary stress, to say the least.

Last year, my focus was on intentionality, but this year God has led me to a deeper place: “Abide.” Jesus tells us that He is the vine, and we are the branches. “Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5, ESV, Emphasis added).

This is a great reminder that our only role is to stay connected. Jesus is the source of nourishment. When we become tired, we may be just surviving by our own strength rather than thriving in His.  

Similarly, the image of pruning branches so they will bear more fruit (John 15:2) is not meant as punishment but as preparation. God sometimes removes what is good so we can have the energy to produce what is excellent. Otherwise, we risk overextending ourselves with many good things when we need to say no to some of them to say yes to something greater.

Based on my experience, the times I was in survival mode—just trying to get through the day—were when I neglected to spend time with God or got distracted from it. On days I started with prayer, quiet time, and God’s Word, I felt more peace.

Peace is more than just quiet; it’s the renewal of everything to its intended, flourishing state. The Holman Bible Dictionary describes it as the “state of being spiritually whole again” (Rom. 14:17; Gal. 5:22; Brand, 1234). There is a clear difference between being ‘near’ the vine (religion) and being ‘in’ the vine (relationship).

God the Father tended, watched over, and protected the garden. Jesus is the source that supplies the nutrients, and the Holy Spirit is the invisible lifeblood that moves like sap from the vine to the branch, through which God’s power flows in us.

This reminded me of something God put on my heart when I needed it most:

You are a beautiful flower in My garden. I send rain and sunlight to nurture you and help you grow. You are protected under the care of the Master Gardener, never to be plucked or taken away from Me again.

May we stop trying to manufacture fruit and start abiding in the Gardener’s Care.

God is glorified when His followers bear abundant fruit to advance His kingdom on earth (John 15:8). While attending church and worshiping in community each Sunday is important, it is even more vital for us to be fruit-bearers throughout the week. Thriving occurs when we realize that “worship” isn’t just the songs we sing on Sunday, but also the way we interact with others and God on Tuesday afternoon. A “living” sacrifice moves, acts, and bears fruit throughout the week.

I have never claimed to be a great houseplant caregiver. Still, a kind lady at church gave us a plant – we named him George – thinking that giving it a name would help us remember to water it. It doesn’t always work, but we’re trying. The idea of worship only once a week is like watering a plant just once a month – it might survive, but it will never thrive. Community is the “greenhouse’ that encourages us, but the “fruit” is meant to be shared with a hungry world outside the greenhouse walls.

In which area of your life are you just “maintaining” (simply trying not to break it), instead of practicing “stewardship” (seeking God’s guidance to make it flourish)?

God didn’t call you to merely survive in the world; He called you to be a light to it. Survival is about avoiding death, but thriving is about embracing Life. Choose to abide today.

“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11, emphasis added).

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1 ESV).

Why Godly Fruit Isn’t Earned, But Grown by the Spirit

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

Bearing fruit in season and out of season, like an evergreen planted by a flowing stream, producing vibrant green branches year-round, comes from a heart guided by the Holy Spirit (Ps. 1:3; Jer. 17:7-8).

When Paul talks about staying in sync with the Spirit, he means letting God lead (Gal. 5:25, ESV). When our hearts are transformed by accepting Christ and the Spirit enters, we can start to produce the fruits of the Spirit that mirror God’s character (Gal. 5:22-24). There is an urge to actively cooperate with the new life we’ve received.

The fruit isn’t just something we produce on our own. Spiritual fruit comes from being made in the likeness of God’s image. Day by day, we as Christians can strive to become more like Jesus, who exemplified all aspects of God’s character as a model for us to follow. We are made in God’s image (Gen. 1:26).

Jesus is described as the perfect “image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15) and the “exact imprint of his nature” (Hebrews 1:3). He perfectly demonstrated the character qualities we call the Fruit of the Spirit.

On the path to becoming like Christ, we often fall short because of our human nature. The flesh cannot please God without the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives and hearts (Rom. 8:8). Paul describes a struggle between flesh and spirit, a division caused by human sin that prevents us from doing what is right in God’s eyes until we accept Christ. Then, the Holy Spirit equips us with the spiritual armor needed to fight battles and push back the devil. The Spirit fights against sin, not just defensively but offensively, developing in Christians the positive qualities of a godly character, all of which are seen in Jesus in the Gospels (Gal. 5:22-23).

The Spirit’s essential role in equipping the believer is to strengthen us.

  • Defensive and Offensive: The Holy Spirit doesn’t just passively wait; He actively fights against sin. This is the power that overcomes the “works of the flesh” (Galatians 5:19-21) and enables the believer to “walk by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16).
  • Spiritual Armor: The armor described in Ephesians 6:10-18 is often seen as the tools given by God, with the Holy Spirit acting as the active force that helps us use them effectively (e.g., the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”).
  • Positive Development (Fruit): The ultimate offensive move of the Spirit is the positive development of godly character—the Fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, etc.). This fruit embodies the very character of Christ being formed within us, making the Christian progressively more resilient against sin and temptation.

Isaiah prophesied about a child from David’s line, “There shall come forth a shoot and a branch from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him” (Is. 11:1-2, Emphasis added). He was speaking of Jesus the Messiah. He ruled with the help of the Spirit (Is. 4:2). He is described as the root and descendant of David, the bright and morning star (Rev. 22:16).

Jesus set an example for living and invited everyone to wash their robes—no longer living in their old ways (Rev. 22:14). While we wait for His return, we can trust in His promise that we will be together again (John 14:2). Essentially, the Holy Spirit is the way Jesus remains present with us until His physical return, empowering us to live a holy life and grounding us in the certainty of His promise. It guides us throughout our lifelong journey of becoming more like Christ and producing The Fruit of the Spirit in our lives (Galatians 5:22-23).

“He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither” (Ps. 1:3, Emphasis added).

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit” (Jer. 17:7-8, Emphasis added).

Everything for the Glory of God

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

In my blog last week, I mentioned a message based on 1 Corinthians 10:31, which states that whatever we do, do it for the glory of God. Everything was created by God and for His glory (Rom. 11:36; Rev.4:11); Creation’s purpose is to reveal God’s glory and power.

Simply said, we are to let our actions reflect God’s character and nature.

Let us take a moment to ask ourselves and God if we are doing anything contrary to this – let’s be honest with ourselves – and allow God to reveal anything that is not bringing Him glory. Let’s ask Him to help us remove it. Every aspect of our lives has the potential to honor God. We can trust God to remove anything that hinders us from bearing fruit in our lives.

Jesus highlights this analogy with the fig tree. From a distance, the tree’s green leaves gave it the appearance of being fruit-bearing, but it wasn’t. Jesus cursed the tree, and it withered (Mark 11:12-14; 20-26). We are meant to get rid of what doesn’t produce fruit in our lives.

The ESV Study Bible records that the cursing signifies the judgment of God on fruitless Jewish people who turned away from God into empty ritual and legalism (Hos. 9:10-17). This visual parable from Jesus illustrates His relentless pursuit of the genuine fruit of worship, prayer, and righteousness within the Jewish nation and its religious practices.

We can bear fruit in our lives, even amid turmoil and morally confusing situations. We always have another option, rather than giving in to temptations. There is always another choice. God always provides a way of escape (1 Cor. 10:13). After Paul enlightens us to this truth, he goes on in verse 14 to say, “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.” Let’s substitute ‘because’ here. Because God always provides a way of escape from temptation, we should flee from idolatry. We have a choice.

Idolatry takes on many forms. Essentially, anything we prioritize above God or in His place is an idol in our lives. God is to be first over everything. Therefore, everything in our lives should bring glory to God.

I wish I had known this years ago. When we think we only have two options, we make bad decisions. I use a cheesecake analogy with the women in the support group I lead – if we’re hungry and all we have is cheesecake, we’ll eat it. Even if we know it isn’t healthy for us. We may enjoy cheesecake, but it is not a sustainable option. Don’t settle for the cheesecake when God offers a whole banquet at the palace of a King.

We need to be informed to make the best decisions. If we aren’t in God’s Word, learning about His character and the truth of what He says about us and what He wants for us, we will make ill-informed decisions based on what is in front of us, which can sometimes be detrimental to our well-being.

Don’t settle for anything less than God’s best. In other words, don’t compromise integrity for momentary pleasure.

Back to the Garden of Eden, humans used fig leaves to hide from God, after the first sin occurred (Gen. 3:7). If we are not producing fruit in our lives, no amount of greenery (or the appearance of doing good) will hide us from God. We can make better choices for a better life. We can reach our highest potential with God’s help – a life that Glorifies Christ, in the light of God’s truth about us and who we are in Him.

As believers, we are daughters and sons of the King. Let us live like it and bring Glory to God through the fruit in our lives. A life that produces fruit is the best testimony to Jesus Christ.

“You cannot drink of the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons” (1 Cor. 10:21, emphasis added).