HOW DO I BEAR FRUIT FOR THE LORD?

HOW DO I BEAR FRUIT FOR THE LORD? A lot of people think bearing fruit means staying busy for God. Doing more. Posting more. Talking more. Serving more. Looking spiritual enough for people to notice. But fruit does not start with activity. Fruit starts with abiding. Jesus said: “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” John 15:5 Fruit is not forced. It grows from staying close to Jesus. It grows from the Word getting into you. From prayer that is real and not just noise. From obedience when the flesh wants its own way. From repentance when God puts His finger on something. From walking with the Lord when nobody is clapping, watching, or liking the post. A lot of people want spiritual fruit while still feeding the flesh. That is why they stay stuck. Galatians 5:22–23 says: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.” That kind of fruit does not grow well in a life that keeps making room for sin. If a man keeps feeding lust, pride, bitterness, compromise, laziness, and excuses, he should not be shocked when the fruit is weak. Fruit grows where the flesh is being denied. Jesus also said: “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love.” John 15:10 Fruit starts showing up when a person stops negotiating with God. And then comes pruning. Jesus said: “Every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” John 15:2 Notice that.. Even the fruitful branch gets cut. God removes what is choking growth. Sometimes it is pride. Sometimes it is distraction. Sometimes it is a habit. Sometimes it is a relationship that keeps pulling you backward. Sometimes it is something you keep defending because you do not want to admit it has been draining your walk. Pruning does not feel good. But pruning is not God destroying you. It is God cutting away what is keeping you from growing. So how do you bear fruit for the Lord? Stay close to Christ. Stay in the Word. Pray for real. Obey what God already showed you. Repent quickly. Starve the flesh. Walk in the Spirit. Let God cut away what does not belong. A branch does not have to fake fruit. It just has to stay connected to the vine. Same with you. Stay with Jesus, and it will show. “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” John 15:8 #MoreJoyMinistries