Connection & Fruitfulness

Fruit.  We talk about it a lot.  God has indeed called us to be incredibly fruitful people!  Multiplication, not addition growth.  The fruit of the Spirit.  Much fruit. More fruit. Yes, we embrace this vision! Fully and wholeheartedly!  And yet, so often, it seems far from our reach, more like a dream than a reality. Do you ever feel like that?

Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about connectedness.  Love creates connection between people.  There are some people we feel more “connected” to.  Some people we see every day but…we just don’t really “connect” with them well.  Love connects.  Fear disconnects. Love reaches out.  Fear withdraws, attacks or creates distance. Love helps us take risks.  Fear makes us hide our gifts, vulnerabilities and true self.

I’ve read John 15 many, many times. Im sure you have too!  Re-read it once again today and think for a moment about what it says regarding “connection”.  How connected are we to God?  Do we feel safe and loved by Him? At ease and relaxed in His Presence?  At Home? Or do we feel separated somehow by our self condemnation, shame, or even our anger with God for something He didn’t do that we expected?  Connection is vitally important, when we talk about fruitfulness.  Connection with God, connection with one another, within our families, teams, with believers, leaders we are training, and with those we are reaching out to! 

Let’s pray this month that God’s love in us will drive out fear and everything that gets in the way of our deep connection with Him.  Pray that we will “make ourselves at home” in His love in greater ways, resting in His goodness.  May we be so full of His Love that it overflows in ways we never thought possible.  I can see Love overflowing through you to others; bringing healing, comfort, words of prophetic encouragement, patience, gentleness, wholeness, joy….FRUIT…ABUNDANT FRUIT. 

Blessings on you as you increasingly CONNECT with Him and others this month.

Scripture for the Month: “I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples.

^9-10 “I’ve loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love. If you keep my commands, you’ll remain intimately at home in my love. That’s what I’ve done—kept my Father’s commands and made myself at home in his love.

^11-15 “I’ve told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love.” From John 15:5-15-The Message