As we continue our series on the Fruit of the Spirit, we look today at Colossians 1:9-12 with a focus on verse 10, “For this reason also, since the day we heard this, we haven’t stopped praying for you. We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, so that you may have great endurance and patience, joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light.” (CSB)
As I was doing my Bible Journaling page today I was thinking of our focus verse, “ So that you may walk worthy of the Lord fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God,” and I asked the Lord, “OK, so how do I do that?” Almost instantly He gave me three principles. 1. Assess 2. Strategize 3. Act.
As we endeavor to produce Fruit in our lives our first step must be to take an account of our lives. What Fruits are we lacking? In what Fruits are we strong? What in our lives needs improvement? Romans 14:12 says, “So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.” (ESV) If we are to give an account of ourselves to God, then we need to take an assessment of how we are doing in this walk of Faith.
Once we have assessed what Fruit needs to be produced, then we need to strategize. We need to plan what we need to do to produce the kind of Fruit we lack in our lives. For example, if we need more patience, what do we need to do to develop that Fruit? What do we need to start doing and what do we need to stop doing? Just as in doing renovation work on a house where a course of action to accomplish what needs to be done must be in place, we also need a plan in place to be successful in producing the Fruit we are desiring in our lives.
Once that plan is made, then we need to act. This is where it becomes difficult. It is in the difficulties that we learn to grow. But no one ever said we had to do this alone! God has promised to help us! Isaiah 41:10 says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (NIV) King David knew this very well, “God is my helper, the Lord is the sustainer of my life.” (Psalm 54:4 CSB) He knew that no matter what, God would be there helping him, whether he was running from enemies or battling a flaw in his life, God would be there!
Perseverance is needed to be successful. Praying, asking God to help us get over the hill (or sometimes the mountain) before us, and continue until we reach our goal of producing that Fruit in our lives.
Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.” (NLT) As we produce Fruit, we begin a walk with God that will bring Him glory and honor. We are then walking worthy of the Lord, and He is proud to call us His sons and daughters in faith!
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