I believe that with great care and forethought, God created each one of us with unique talents, gifts, passions and abilities specifically suited to serve his purposes for the kingdom. And if we are willing to serve him, God can use us in his master plan. We can be his proverbial hands and feet. We can be his mouth and his arms. Through us, God can touch lives, show love, spread the gospel, and even change the course of someone’s life; all this in an effort to further his purposes here on earth. But what happens when we choose not to use our gifts for kingdom purposes? What will he say if we never bear fruit for the kingdom? In Luke, chapter 13, verses 6 through 9, Jesus tells a parable that I believe affectively answers this question. It says:
“Then he told this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ ‘Sir’, the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”
No one, whether a follower of Christ, or an unbeliever, wants to look back on their life with regret. When we are old and grey and are unable to accomplish what we could’ve in our youth, we don’t want to be faced with the realization that we never bore any fruit for our king. So I would encourage you to assess your life now. If you are active for the kingdom, great! But if you are only living for yourself, you may want to consider this portion of scripture. The fig tree in this parable didn’t bear fruit for 3 years! How long has it been for you? Are you using what God has given you to affect change for the kingdom? Americans, for the most part, fill our lives many things. Some are simple distractions, and others are important things that need be done. But we are all in control of some aspect of our schedule. And ultimately, we make time for the things that are important to us. What is important to you? I would encourage you to make bearing fruit for our king a priority.
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God created you with a kingdom purpose in mind. Are you fulfilling that calling? Do you even know what your purpose is? If not, I would encourage you to pray and ask God how you can serve the kingdom. In this parable, Jesus reveals that it is our purpose to bear fruit. If we don’t, we are useless to the king; so much so, that the owner of the vineyard ordered that the tree be cut down because it was taking up space. We need to do more than just take up space on this earth. God built us with a longing for purpose. Without purpose, we are unfulfilled. In an effort to fill that hole we may become self-destructive, self-absorbed or complacent. In other words, we become useless to the king. I encourage you to pursue usefulness. I encourage you to bear fruit.