Many people today are looking for a shortcut to spirituality. They want a quick fix, a life-changing emotional experience.
But there are no shortcuts to spirituality. There are no quick fixes. There is no emotional experience that will change everything for you. It depends on the decisions you make every day if you want to grow and, indeed, thrive as a Christian.
Just like you can’t plant a tree on Monday and eat peaches on Tuesday, you can’t see fruit grow overnight. It takes time. But if you work diligently and consistently at what needs doing, you will eventually start to see results.
In John 15, Jesus compares Himself to a vine, God the Father to the gardener, and His disciples to the fruit. Psalm 1 emphasizes this idea: “They are like trees planted by the river’s banks, which bear fruit in their season and whose leaf never withers, and all their deeds prosper” (verse 3, NLT).
God plants us, and when we put our roots deep in Him, He gives us permanence. Maybe that’s why the psalmist David prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10 NKJV). Maybe that’s why David prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10 NKJV). Robust It can be translated as “stable,” “fixed,” or “constant.”
God also gives us productivity. If you are a believer walking with God, spiritual fruit will come out of your life. So what is this fruit? Galatians 5:22–23 says, “But the Holy Spirit produces in our lives the following fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (NLT).
Bearing spiritual fruit doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time to grow. But the fruit will come. The Bible says, “God has made everything beautiful in its time” (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NLT). So be patient. The fruit may not come as quickly as you would like.
Finally, God gives us prosperity. Psalm 1:3 says, “His leaf will not wither, and all his works will prosper” (NLT). Our entire lives — our family life, church life, personal life, and professional life — are in balance because we are in right harmony with God.
On the other hand, when this balance is not achieved, we become unhappy people. In the droughts of life, when others are devastated because they have no resources to fall back on, followers of Christ have an inexhaustible source.
As Christians, we are sometimes frustrated when we see non-believers thriving, or appearing to be so. Things are going wonderfully for them, or appearing to be so. We see people who are dishonest and violate God’s standards, and yet things seem to be going wonderfully for them.
But remember, in the end, it all balances out. Be consistent. Be determined to put down deep roots in the Lord. You will see spiritual fruition in your life. You will also find happiness in the truest sense of the word.
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