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I've never had passion fruit. It looks like it’s full of
seeds with very little pulp. But this little girl sure seems to love it.
Passion might be the name of a fruit but it’s also a deep
desire in our hearts that guides our thoughts and actions.
Passion is a big buzz word these days, especially among artists,
but it can apply to everyone. Your passion might be to raise godly children. To pursue
happiness or fulfillment. To just plain have a good time.
As a Christian author, you would expect my passion to be
summed up in one word: God.
- To love Him,
- To walk with Him,
- To obey Him.
Sadly, until recently, that wasn't my passion. If you were
to ask me, my passion was:
To share the richness of God’s Word and to
encourage others
to let it shine through them.
Sound’s pretty good, doesn't it?
So, why aren't I bearing any passion fruit?
Simple, that one word again: God.
None of us can reflect God or share the beauty of His Word unless
we love Him and walk with Him. We can’t bear fruit apart from Him
"I
am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will
bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
John 15:5
Get that? First step: be intimately connected to Jesus.
Allow His life to flow through us and to enable us to bear fruit.
I lost my focus.
I didn't focus on God,
I focused
on the fruit I wanted to bear for Him.
And it showed!
Too
often, we confuse the path others recommend for bearing fruit with the One who
bears fruit through us. As my wise sister-in-law, Jean, said last week, “We go
off on a tangent thinking this has to be God because it is about Him.” Why do
we try to accomplish God’s work by our methods?
How do
we bring our focus back to God and allow Him to direct our paths?
God
brought me to these verses and, over the next few weeks, I’ll ask Him to open
them to me and I’ll share with you what He teaches me.
As the
deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. Psalm 42:1
But
seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things
will be given to you as well. Matthew
6:33
Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the
desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4
Together,
let’s get excited about the fruit God can bear through us when our focus is on
Him.
