On the road to Damascus, Jesus talked with Paul through a vision. In that vision, Paul was told he was appointed "as a servant and as a witness" (Acts 26:16). Paul was one of the giants in the early church but his instructions were the same as ours - be a servant and then witness about God's work in our lives.
Too often I get confused as to my role here on this earth. I see the verse about bearing fruit (John 15)and then go out to decide what kind of fruit that should be. But we aren't called to figure this out. We are called to be a servant and a witness. The branch of the tree does not decide what kind of fruit to bear - that was decided from the time the seed was made, by the Creator. All too often I forget that. I get caught up in deciding if my fruit is as good as someone else's fruit. I look at what others are doing and think that my work isn't as good. Mostly I see myself as just a nut. I'm not sure why this is a difficult concept for me - that as long as my focus is on God, I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. How simple but how easy it is for me to forget it.
Aren't you glad God loves us no matter what?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Even trees that bear "nuts"-started from a seed. They were planted, watered and nourished. Nourishment provides growth and strength; strength to withstand the storms that come through the growth of its life; strength to continue to flourish and extend beyond its original beginning.
Trees grow upward. The branches may bend due to the type of tree or due to lack of care. Without proper care and nourishment, these particular trees will become limp and the branches shall begin to sag, become brittle, loosing it’s leaves...eventually they will die.
God loves us no matter what and sometimes that is a learning process for many of us. We too as God’s children need nourishment in order to grow in our relationship with Him and one another. We can’t sit back and expect it to just happen, we need to take part- to read His word, reach out to others and what a difference we will see-what a difference we will feel deep within our being.
Yes, God even loves the “nuts” of this life-for God has a purpose for them just like everyone else who breathes and walks among us. If we keep God in focus-that is what He wants and isn’t that what we want for each other?
“If the seed never falls, never dies, it remains just a seed, but if withered and nourished it rises to life, bearing fruit indeed.”
Well said!
Post a Comment