Busy or Productive...

[Sondog]

“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit — fruit that will last…” (John 15:16)

From Heaven’s point of view, there’s a big difference between being busy and being productive. It’s good occasionally to take an inventory of how we’re spending our time, energy, and resources, so that we can avoid being overwhelmed by the trivial and mere distractions — and so that our lives will be truly, eternally fruitful.

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[Monna]

Everyone is productive (you reap what you sow) in the sense of bearing fruit. Even if you do nothing, there will be a result - the fruit of idleness, sloth, laziness.
But we are to bear "fruit that lasts," the "fruit of the spirit" rather than the "fruit of the flesh."

The question is whether we can bear the fruit of the spirit. Perhaps it is only when we stop living our lives, and working for God, that we can let Christ live in/through us to produce the fruit of the spirit.

Galatians 2:20
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me...

 

[Sondog]

Yes -- I think we agree. In the context in which I was using it (a context defined by the scripture I used, which is why I started with the bible verse), the word "productive" means "something of good , lasting value". And yes, it is true that we need God's grace to do anything of any value -- but grace is not an inexorable, unstoppable force. We are still called, day by day, to yield ourselves to this grace. And that is essentially what I am talking about -- examining our lives and choosing, by His grace, to do the things that He, by His Word, has clearly told us He wants us to do, instead of wasting our lives by busying ourselves with worldly, trivial pursuits.

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." James 1:22

"If you love Me, you will obey what I command." John 14:15