Pretty not fruitful

Last week I was admiring the many pumpkin vines we have and looking at all the pretty yellow flowers. As most gardeners know, where there are flowers there may be fruit. So I went to look for some new pumpkins growing under the flowers.  But alas there was none! The words that went off in my spirit were my pumpkin vines were pretty but not fruitful. 

I thought about it for a while and realised that I, as a Christian, want to be pretty (carrying the glory and presence of God) and fruitful. I want to touch heaven with my prayers and worship and touch others in this earth using the nine fruits of the Spirit we have been given.  I don’t want to touch heaven and have no impact on earth, neither do I want to impact earth and not touch heaven. I want to be pretty and fruitful and not any other combination.

So how can we be pretty and fruitful? The scripture that always comes to mind when referring to fruitfulness is John 15 verses 1 to 8. Jesus is speaking his last message to His disciples before He went to the cross. The last words you hear from someone just before they pass away should be powerful. Jacob blessed all his sons and described their futures in Genesis 49 and David handed the throne to Solomon just before he died. So what powerful words did Jesus have to say. Jesus told them a gardening story not about the Garden of Eden but about the relationship that they would soon have with Jesus.

In these scriptures, God is the gardener, Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. If you have ever noticed something about most fruit, it doesn’t grow on the vine but on the branches. The branches produce the fruit using the vine’s nourishment. Jesus provides everything we need to be fruitful if only we will remain connected to Him. Jesus then goes on to tell His disciples and us that if we don’t produce fruit, we will be cut off from Jesus the vine. However, we can’t be content either just to produce a little bit of fruit because if we do, Jesus will prune us for the purpose of growing more fruit. Those trials and tribulations we face are not meant to break us but to produce more fruit.

So what are the fruit. They are found in Galatians 5 verses 22 and 23. I lov what the Message translation states. It is the holy Spirit that produces the fruit in us and not of our own accord or we would fail. We need to stay connected to the vine for this to happen.

What about being pretty now we know how to be fruitful? John 17:21 and 22 tells  us that Jesus prayed for the glory to be given to us like it was given to Jesus  so we may be united or one with God and Jesus. We carry the presence and glory of God. That will make us pretty and handsome as we are sons and daughters of the King.

This week, ask the Holy Spirit to show you those areas where you need to become more fruitful and those areas where we may not be united to Jesus as He would have us. Then go and be pretty and fruitful. Then you can keep living the life God intended for you.