“As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.” – Matthew 13:23
This is the picture of life that truly understands and embraces the Good News of Jesus Christ, fully submitting to Jesus as Lord. Such a life will inevitably overflow with character transformation, good deeds done for the right reasons, and the making of new disciples of Jesus. Such a life is supernaturally fruitful because of that person’s profound connection to Jesus, Who produces all good spiritual fruit.
Is this a picture of your life? If Jesus is your Lord, it should be. Your fruit might look different from someone else’s fruit but there should definitely be fruit. Lots of it. Your fruit might take awhile to start being fully visible, but there should definitely be fruit forming. So, is the Spirit of Christ working so freely and fully in your life that there is multiplying fruit? Praise God (literally) if He is!
If not, why not? Go back through the parable and consider whether you might be struggling in one of the other situations. If you’re a believer in Jesus, have you grown deep roots in Christ through worship, study, prayer, and meditation? Are you working to draw nearer to Jesus and claiming the promise that He will draw near to you when you do? If not, that will definitely prevent fruit from forming in your life because there can be no fruit apart from a healthy relationship with Jesus.
Is your life so busy, so full of other good things that Jesus is just one good thing among many? Or so full of bad things that there doesn’t seem to be any time for Jesus? Are you too busy to really devote yourself to knowing and enjoying your Lord? Is your attention so divided and your energy so directed elsewhere that Jesus really isn’t that important in your life? If so, He certainly isn’t the Lord of your life and there will definitely be no fruit until you correct your priorities.
Reflect on your life. Celebrate the fruit Jesus is producing in you and carefully consider what any lack of fruit might be saying about your relationship to Jesus. #FollowJesus