An orange tree that is not bearing fruit is not really fulfilling its purpose. The same is true for a Christian. Jesus said, “every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit” (Matt. 7:17). The concept of God’s people bearing fruit fills Scripture. The prophet Jeremiah says that the man who trusts in the Lord will bear fruit even in a hard time, even in a season of drought:
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” (Jer. 17:7-8)
What is the fruit we produce? Well, godly fruit is that which grows from God himself! The fruit our lives bear is the product of God’s Spirit at work in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). When this fruit bursts out of us, we find fullness, we give life to those around us, and we reflect God himself. Bearing fruit is one of the central goals of the Christian’s life on earth. The apostle Paul says that we have died and been raised with Christ “in order that we may bear fruit for God” (Rom. 7:4).
So, how can we live a fruitful, productive life for God? What would it look like for the Spirit of God to enable you to be fruitful in your family, to serve well in the church, to make an impact in an unbelieving world? To learn some practical life principles, we can look to one of the most fruitful disciples we read about in the New Testament: Timothy. In the book of Acts and the epistles, we get a lot of detail regarding the life and ministry of this young Christian leader. And through his example, we learn what it means for us to walk with God and bear F.R.U.I.T.
Faithful
2 Timothy 1:5-6 – “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.”
Timothy had the blessing of growing up with a godly mother and grandmother who shared the Gospel with him and showed him what it looked like to live out a sincere faith in Christ. Rooted in this faith, his spiritual father Paul reminded him to fan into flame the gift of God in his heart. At the foundation of a fruitful life is the call to live out a faith rooted in Christ, walk in personal purity, and build a healthy family life. Living by faith in Christ means we are empowered to take this gospel message and “entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also” (2 Tim. 2:2).
Reliable
Acts 16:1-3 – “Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.”
When the apostle Paul came across this young disciple of Jesus, he had a reputation in the Christian community that stood out. The other Christians spoke well of Timothy, and so Paul knew he was a reliable person who could help him bear fruit in his ministry. (Any young man willing to be circumcised to help his witness shows he has great humility!) Timothy was like that young guy at church who just keeps showing up! To bear fruit in your context, you don’t need to be a theological scholar, a gifted preacher, or a dynamic leader – but you do need to be someone others can rely on. Fruitful disciples are committed, consistent, and dependable.
Useful
1 Thessalonians 3:1-3 – “Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, that no one be moved by these afflictions.”
Timothy went from being a young, inexperienced believer to someone Paul considered a coworker in the gospel. Timothy was useful. He was sent out on his own mission to encourage other Christians facing affliction. You may not have yet reached full spiritual maturity or developed every possible spiritual gift, but you can still bear fruit for God. Being useful to your family and church means you understand your calling, your gifting, and the unique ways you can serve others.
Intentional
Philippians 2:19-22 – “I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel.“
There was no one like Timothy! When everyone else was seeking their own interests, Timothy stood out! Fruitful people are intentional to notice what is going on with other people. Only a rude and apathetic person won’t help out when they are directly asked, but a big part of bearing fruit means taking initiative. We are called to be genuinely concerned for the welfare of others. By the Holy Spirit, we can be attentive to the friends and family around us and eager to serve them. Like Timothy, this is how we can demonstrate our proven worth in service to the gospel.
Teachable
2 Timothy 3:10-11 – “You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra – which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me.”
Paul was a spiritual father to Timothy; and like a spiritual son, Timothy followed him, watched him, listened to him, and learned from him. Timothy didn’t just learn doctrine from Paul – he learned how to live as a follower of Jesus. From Paul, Timothy learned fruitful Christian conduct: faith, patience, love, and steadfastness. He learned from both Paul’s preaching and Paul’s suffering. To be fruitful, we too need to be teachable. You might have knowledge, experience, and gifting – but are you humble and teachable? Can you learn from others? Can you grow and mature, not just from listening to good sermons, but from watching the hard-fought lives of faithful saints who demonstrate the fruit of Christ?
Bearing fruit as disciples of Jesus means we are Faithful, Reliable, Useful, Intentional, and Teachable. For parents with their children or leaders in ministry, these five areas are crucial to look for and develop in others as well. But, no matter your maturity in these areas right now, take heart – when the gospel of Jesus Christ takes root, there is always a harvest – “as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing” (Col. 1:6). Therefore, our prayer is that God’s Spirit would enable us to “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Col. 1:10).
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