May 27

As the Life -- So the Fruit

For if you possess these qualities and continue to grow in them, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. — 2 Pet 1:8 BSB

If we want to glorify God by being fruitful, certain things must be present in us, because nothing can come out of us that isn’t first inside. It all starts with faith, the foundation of all virtues. To that, we must add goodness, knowledge, self-control, and perseverance. We also need godliness and love for others. When we have these qualities, they will naturally lead to fruitful and effective lives, making us doers of God’s Word, not just hearers. These traits must not only be in us but must overflow, or we will become unproductive. Fruit comes from the overflow of life, and we must be full to overflow.

We have seen people with great talents and opportunities who have not been effective in bringing others to Christ. Upon closer observation, it’s clear that they lacked certain essential qualities for bearing fruit. It’s clear that for real effectiveness, godly character matters more than gifts or abilities. As a person is, so will their work be. If we want to be more fruitful, we must become better ourselves. Let this verse be a gentle reminder to unfruitful believers and to me as well.