Are You Fruitful or Just Good Looking? (Part 3)

This is the third article on what it means to be fruitful and how many people are more interested in just looking good.  This is partially because being fruitful is hard work and people are normally looking for the easiest way around things. If you haven’t read the first two articles on the same subject I would encourage you to do so before reading this one.

Growing up in California I learned to handle myself by my wits. I wasn’t the biggest or smartest guy so I had to figure out how people reacted to things and situations. If you pay enough attention to human behavior you start seeing patterns that people live by without even knowing why they do so. But things changed when I came to a new life in Christ. I discovered that there are not only laws of human nature but there are also laws that govern the spiritual life around us. Trying to understand both dimensions, natural and spiritual, is a life long pursuit of mine and one that most Christians don’t seem to handle well. We either live “naturally” and believe a set of truths about God and man or we investigate spiritual truths that affect our world and tend to be very awkward in the natural world.

When Jesus was disciplining Peter and the other eleven disciples he was constantly trying to get these men to see with both sets of eyes.  He wanted them to see the natural things and why they occur while also seeing the hidden things in the spiritual world that were having an affect at the same time. Take, for example, when Peter is assisting Jesus by using his boat as a platform to teach the multitudes.

Luke 5:1-5                                                                                                                                                                            

Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around Him and listening to the word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret; [2] and He saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake; but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. [3] And He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little way from the land. And He sat down and began teaching the people from the boat. [4] When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” [5] Simon answered and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.” 

Here is a good example of the natural and the spiritual working hand in hand. Jesus seems to need a boat to speak from so he is not crushed (natural) and yet he tells Peter to let down his nets to catch fish, something he has tried all night with no success (spiritual). We live in a world of both realms working along side each other and at times we discover how to have them work to complement each other and not be in conflict.

Jesus taught the principle of “Sowing & Reaping” because it is one of the major laws of the universe that works in both the natural and spiritual realms. If we fail to understand this law we will be constantly suffering for it regardless of whether we have good or bad motives. In the following parable Jesus teaches about the seeds of the gospel (spiritual laws) but the natural laws are very similar.

Mark 4:2-3

And He was teaching them many things in parables, and was saying to them in His teaching, “Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow; 

Paul the apostle taught the same law of God (natural & spiritual) but put it in the context of both realms. If we sow in the flesh (natural) we reap from that realm and if we sow in the spirit we reap in that realm. The truth is both these realms also have consequences that affect the other. If we sow mostly natural things it will starve the spiritual side of life and vice versa.

Galatians 6:7    

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. 

So, here is another element in this whole issue of sowing and reaping. If we invest our time and life in the right realm yet do so in the wrong way we also suffer. Let me explain.

Suppose a farmer wishes to have a great crop of corn yet he plants his seed in the wrong season. Will he reap a good crop? No! He must deal with each season in the proper way regardless of how good his seed is. The seed can only produce its potential if and when it is planted at the right time and in the right soil conditions.

When I moved to North Carolina I had a new learning curve to understand when it comes to growing grass. In the north, where you have cold winters, you plant seed in the spring if you want a great lawn.  In the south you plant grass in the fall and if you miss that short season you can expect a lot of frustration throughout the rest of the year trying to keep you lawn healthy.

In truth we are “Spiritual” farmers trying to live a fruitful life in a natural world. If we don’t pay attention to the details of how these two realms coexist we will suffer for it regardless of our motives. If we choose not to worship with the saints each week, that will affect our lives. If we choose not to share our faith because its difficult or scary, then we will suffer in our fruitfulness.

I often see and hear believers complaining because they see some other believers happier than they are yet they never investigate why that might be the case. Maybe they talk to their neighbors or serve their neighbors in some way or.  Maybe they give generously at church or for mission trips while others hold onto their money for some tangible thing like a dress or new toy.

There are times when the law of sowing and reaping is set aside because of wrong behavior or motives. In the day of Micah the prophet, God told Israel they would not reap regardless of how much they farmed the land. This was not God’s heart for Israel but they would not listen to God’s counsel or change their behavior or their hearts.

Micah 6:15                                                                                                                                                                                     

You will sow but you will not reap. You will tread the olive but will not anoint yourself with oil; and the grapes, but you will not drink wine.

Be assured it’s God’s heart to bless, not cure, our lives but we must learn to live wisely as we wait the return of Christ. God has given us the keys of the kingdom in his Word but it’s up to us to investigate and apply the keys at the right time and in the right place. Be aware that to live a fruitful life takes more than wishful thinking. It takes hard work and sacrifice but the rewards are there and waiting for us all.

Questions:

1) Have you found you are sowing but not reaping? Let the Holy Spirit examine your heart to reveal the answer.

2) Have you been sowing your talents and wealth in the wrong place or time? Seek the wisdom of God and you will discover what needs to change by seeking out godly counsel from other mature believers.

May the Holy Spirit lead us to be fruitful in this present age.

Pastor Dale