How Faithfulness Leads to Fruitfulness

Read John 15:1-8.

Have you ever experienced a circumstance or season of life in which you felt totally incapable of accomplishing the task or the responsibility you've been given?

I have, and each time God has reminded me of how desperate I am for His abiding presence in my life. I must daily surrender to Him in order to accomplish any task that He has anointed me for … forcing me to face my own limits, weaknesses, inadequacies and fears as a husband, father and ministry leader.

This critical importance of full surrender and utter dependency on Him is for my good and is an illustration of John 15. Any fruitfulness in my life is completely hinged on an utter dependency in my relationship with Jesus Christ.

Fruitfulness comes from faithfully getting up and going through the day, abiding with Him, and it is measured in 24-hour periods, 60 seconds at a time. Faithfulness is always measured in the present moment.

In some of my most challenging moments, this reality has been liberating to me. As Paul reminds us, “it is required of a man for him to be found faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2).  

That’s exactly what God expects of you and me today—faithfulness that leads to fruitfulness. I want to challenge you to join me in the daily process of surrendering, submitting, yielding, and offering our lives to God as a living sacrifice. 

Father, forgive us for the times we’ve focused on the fruit rather than you. Help us to grow in our daily faithfulness to you in order to bear fruit for your glory. Amen. 

-from Kurt Nelson, East-West Chief Executive Officer