Are You a Producer?

The pressure is on in our world today to be producers. You have quotas to meet weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly. Sometimes your job depends on the numbers you produce. Pastors even feel this in ministry. It’s just the atmosphere of our world. Everybody wants production. That’s what we get paid for. My Friend, Pastor Vic Schober, does a devotional he calls God’s Favored. Today’s was from John 15:16. He got me to thinking about this.

Maybe this production things is not just the way of our world. Jesus talked in this entire 15th chapter of John about bearing fruit. Sometimes in the Bible we get so wrapped up in spiritual meanings that we forget that Jesus was very interested in our daily lives. I know the primary purpose for each of us is to accomplish the great commission of reaching the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. But even in that “production” is not our responsibility just “proclamation” through our word, lives, and relationships. So what is this fruit? Of course it is the fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV) “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Certainly we know that when we produce more of these qualities in our lives it impacts every relationship we have in life in a very positive way.

The fruit of the spirit is comprised of attitudes that will impact our daily lives as well. They will cause us to produce, to be successful at whatever we do in life. We all know that connections in life are important to our production as well. It is often said, “It’s not so much what you know, but who you know.” I heard a story from many years ago about a young man who wanted to be a stock broker and financial investor. He tried and tried to get an interview with Mr. Rothchild a prominent and very successful investor and financier of that day. He was in fact one of the richest men in the world. The young man was persistent in asking for an interview to get a job with Mr. Rothchild. One day Mr. Rothchild came out of his office and said to the young man, “Let’s go for a walk.” He put his arm around the shoulder of the young man and they walked through Wall Street Stock Exchange while they chatted. It took a few minutes and they returned and said “goodbye.” It wasn’t long until the young man’s phone began ringing with offers... because they had seen him with “the master.”

John 15:16 (NIV) says, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.”

Be connected to Jesus, get connected to Jesus. He is the key to everything we have and need in life. You may have many good connections in life, but the first and most important is Jesus. He wants you to be successful in life. In John 15:8 He says it is to His Father’s glory that we bear MUCH fruit.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, today make me a producer of the fruit of spirit and a producer in my business. I want to bring glory to You in all I do in life. Thank You for choosing me to partner with You. AMEN.

Blessings!
Pastor Roger