No one enjoys biting into unripened fruit. Green bananas are not tasty — and neither is a life of faith that never fully matures.
Why is unripened fruit undesirable? Because it is still developing from the inside out. The same is true for so many believers.
Many began their journey with God on fire — passionate, hungry, unstoppable. But somewhere along the way, they were distracted. And without the perseverance to press through, they never became what God fully intended.
I started taking piano lessons when I was nine years old. I had the desire to play with skill — but desire alone wasn’t enough. I needed discipline. My mother was the one who insisted I practice 30 minutes every day after school — before I could go outside and play with my friends.
Desire is wonderful. Discipline is necessary. But then comes the delight!
The lack of discipline is where most of us get tripped up. We are lured away by things that quietly crowd out our desire for God: busy schedules, unresisted temptations, distractions, apathy, worry, and plain old selfishness.
“The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced.” Mark 4:18-19 NLT
How about you? What lures you away from your godly disciplines? What competes with your allegiance to God — and tries to steal the spiritual growth He designed for you?
I believe there are 7 major disciplines every believer should embrace to experience their greatest fruitfulness for God:
- Reading and Meditating on the Word of God Daily
- Praying in Faith Daily
- Worshiping God in Both the Good Times and the Hard Times
- Serving Our Family, Church, and Friends with a Humble Heart
- Giving to God and Others from Our Time, Talents, and Treasure
- Sharing Our Faith with Others — Often!
- Making More Disciples by Mentoring Others
As we embrace these spiritual disciplines, we will discover an extraordinary delight in our fruitfulness for God! In fact, He will surprise us — favoring our steps and multiplying our efforts far beyond what we could produce on our own.
Don’t let the Fruit-Killers win. Stay rooted. Stay disciplined. And watch God bring the harvest.