REPORT ALERT - Part 2: Fruitfulness

God Wants Us to Be Fruitful

Jesus says in John 15:

v. 5 - I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing... 

v.8 - By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be my disciples...

v.16 - You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name he may give you. 

It's clear here that God is interested in fruitfulness. He wants you and I to be fruitful in the areas of responsibility and purpose that we have been assigned.

How to be Fruitful

Good stewards are always…

Awake and Alert to know and respond to seasons, purpose, requirements, expectations, patterns, timeline, deliverables, current and projected status of resources etc. Glean from those with more experience, and remain prayerful and watchful without fear. Fear paralyses; love empowers.

Learning
Understand your subject thoroughly. The more you learn, the better you can get at doing something. Then, you should teach others how to do it too so you can multiply yourself in others

Efficient Effort

Get the right thing done via the best strategy, and use of resources, time and effort. Always receive God’s counsel for the best way in everything

Ready and prepared

If you are alert, you will know what is coming up ahead. Prepare ahead for expected upcoming requirements, increases in demand etc. We aren’t omniscient therefore be sensitive to God’s nudges.

Terrifically excellent

Do everything at the best possible standard with your available resources and ability. Be able to balance ideals with practicality. All this requires wisdom, and is gets better with experience. Completing tasks with excellence honours God and opens doors but you can’t generate excellence out of yourself; ask for God’s guidance, seek His favour, obey His statues & principles.

The More Excellent Way

This is a good start but there is a game changer that can take the above and make it super-effective. It will take your ability to bear much fruit to a supernatural level that is the "more excellent way" (1 Cor 12:1): LOVE.

Jesus said, "He who abides in me and in Him bears much fruit" (John 15:5). How do you abide in Him?

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. 1 John 4:15-16 

How do we abide in love?

If you keep my commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandment and abide in His love... this is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. John 15: 10, 12

 This generation has relegated love to either a soppy, cotton-candy emotion, or a sexually charged drive when nothing could be further from the truth. The love that God defines in His Word is a determined, long term commitment despite the odds, difficulties and hurts; it is sacrifice of self for the benefit of others; it is a power that changed the world. In the beautiful prose and rhythm of the New King James Version, this is how it is defined:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16 

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. 1 Cor 13: 4-8a 

In a situation where you want to have a burst of anger and say something rude, love is the decision to speak kindly instead. Every time you feel selfish but you choose to put a colleagues needs above your own, that's love. If you are consistently making these sorts of decisions, you're abiding in love. And love has a way of making good results in any situation.

In terms of stewardship, if you choose to operate with love (the way/strategy), because of love (motivation, drive), and through Love (God's, not ours because ours doesn't last!), you will bear much fruit, fruit that will remain.

Here's to a abundantly fruitful harvest in the times to come!

For more on this topic, check out our MixCloud playlist by searching for 'covenantyouth'.

REPORT ALERT - Part 1: Accountability

The Bible makes clear that we are all stewards of the gifts God has given to us, and that the Master is returning one day (Matt 24; 25). On that day, we will be called to report the earnings and losses, the ways we have spent the time, resource and skills He has given to us.

This isn't to say that we should live each day under burden and stress; instead we need to understand that God is a good boss and work WITH Him. His Word details principles that if we would take up will help us to stay accountable and achieve all that God has for us.

Accountability is the noun of 'accountable'. The definition of "accountable" according to the Cambridge English Dictionary is:

"someone who is completely responsible for what they do and must be able to give a satisfactory reason for it."

Who defines what is a 'satisfactory reason'? The very definition implies that there is an authority to whom an accountable person must answer to, and whose demands and questions they must satisfy. Employees are accountable to their bosses; children are accountable to their parents; spouses are accountable to each other but all of us are ultimately accountable to God.

To be able to stay accountable, you need to understand the following concepts:

Responsibility & Purpose
You will be judged on the responsibilities and purposes God has given to YOU (see Matt 25) - not what He's given others, you. Take ownership of them. See the other post on Responsibilities and Purpose

Expectations
You can only get good marks in an assessment if you understand the teacher’s expectations and requirements. Find out God’s expectations with His Word.

Prioritise with God’s priorities

Doing first things first will set you up for the others. Ask God for His wisdom and insight.

Obedience rather than results

This world is performance based but in serving God, there is no way that we understand and see everything God sees. How do you measure your performance when you don’t know all the variables? God requires our obedience first and foremost (1 Sam 15:22). Obedience will ensure that the results He wants will be achieved.

Relationship
Your Master is strict but good, and altogether wonderful. Your relationship with the Master determines your sense of accountability, and how well you will carry out His work.

Tenacity
Keep at your current instructions until you receive new instructions.

Stewardship of the Stuff of Life

NB. This article (images and text) is © Copyright Melissa Yong - All rights reserved - Ways of the Mustard Seed. You may cite or reference this article or publish translated versions of this article on non-English language blogs provided you acknowledge Ways of the Mustard Seed as the original source.

There are three main areas of purpose in our lives, and each purpose contains a set of responsibilities.

Areas of Purpose

General: God's purpose for everyone regardless of personality, skill set, circumstance or season. 

This includes but is not limited to:

• Knowing God personally and intimately (Psa 27:8; Jer 9:24; Jer 31:34)
• Salvation for all (Matt 28:19; John 3:16; 2 Pet 3:9)
• Living a holy life that testifies of His power and reality (Mark 16: 17-18; 1 Pet 1:13-16; 2:11-12) 
• Loving one another as Christ loved us (John 15:12-14; 1 John 4)
• Walking in the Spirit to combat the ways of the flesh (Rom 8:1-11; Gal 5:16-17)

Personal: the God-ordained purpose for the combination of personality, skills and passions you have

This may seem obvious but for some reason we don't think of our God-given abilities and passions as being an area of purpose and responsibility. 

Do you love to bake? Bake to give away to the needy, to encourage, to open doors to meaningful relationships and discussions. Do you love to write? Write about your passion and mobilise, inform, teach, reveal to honour God. Is your skill building rapport and creating networks of relationships? Find the disenfranchised, the lonely, the rejected and create around them a loving circle of friends that can become the family they need. What are you best at doing? People all around you need what you do best. 

God has given you that particular set of gifts, that particular personality for a reason. Use it to reach out with God's love to the people He died to save and life will take on a shine that lasts through storm and fire.

Seasonal: every season of our lives has a purpose that feeds into future seasons

Student? Your purpose here is to learn and be trained with skills and knowledge that you'll need one day. Working and single? There are relationships to hone, experiences to gather, knowledge to glean from others, stuff to achieve while you have some maturity and an abundance of time, health and energy (comparatively) that is unmatched compared to most of the rest of your life. 

Married with kids? You have future Great Ones under your tutelage; work with your spouse as a tight team to hone their character, equip them with skills and understanding, be role models of the kind of people you want them to be. It won't be that long till they don't need you. Married without kids? Your marriage has an incredible purpose; God put you together because you need one another, and because you are more effective together in the work that God has called you to. You are not defined by what you do or do not have. Run diligently in the track God marked out for you and you will find beautiful, powerful things that He has prepared that are better than what you ever dreamed.

Retired? Now's not the time to make it all about you or think that you've become useless. This could be the most fruitful time of your life as you focus on a marriage of your accumulated connections, passion, experience and skill to do what you love best; use this time to impart history, experience, knowledge, skills to the next generation. They need you more than they know; and you need them more than you think.

God is a skilful Writer. There is nothing in anyone's life story that is worthless.

Prioritising It All

Usually, people have responsibilities that are a mixture of the above major areas of purpose.
But things can be streamlined if you have a tool to prioritise the responsibilities.

General + Seasonal= Duty

If your tasks fall within an area where it touches on the General Purposes of God for you and is typical of the season you are in but is missing your passion, these are tasks of Duty. They are good things to do; you just don't really love doing it.
Examples: arranging your day around school drop-off, pick up times; washing the bed linen too many times a day because of a sick loved one you are caring for.

How do we deal with these? These are tasks that you want to get out of the way quickly so that you can focus on what truly matters most. Find ways to deal with them quickly and efficiently, and/or find ways to inject your passion, your special touch into it so that it is less burdensome.

General + Personal = Surrender

These tasks embody both God's heart and your passion. They will be tasks in your life that you wish you could do/ step into but just don't have the time, money or inspiration even though it's what you'd gladly spend all day doing. Or it may be a dream that you hold dear but seems far away.

Examples: waiting to find Mr/Mrs Right; that book you've had half written for years; that music you've written and/or recorded but don't know what to do next with; those pictures, paintings you've made that friends and family have oohed and ahed over but don't seem to have an avenue to go; that awesome business you've dreamed about building; that trip you are waiting to go on but never seems to be the right time for.

Often, there is not much you can do about tasks in this area. For these, it is their time of incubation. Bathe these dreams and hopes in persistent prayer and thanksgiving, waiting before God for the green light, the open door, the command to 'go!'. When He speaks, obey. If He hasn't, continue to wait and surrender it daily. God is preparing the paths and doors for you in ways you cannot see.

Seasonal + Person = Chaff (Rubbish)

These tasks may be specific to your season, and you may enjoy it but if it does not have God's heart and purpose for the world in it, it's not worth your time. They are distractions that will eat up your time, effort, energy from the things that you should be focusing on and will lead to frustration. Discard them or refocus it so that God's purpose

Examples: You love to sing so you've been learning to sing all sorts of songs, and performing at some friends' functions. It makes you feel great but it's really all about you. OR you love playing computer games; it's great to connect with friends online and you love the games but after the late hours, you make yourself frustrated because you can't keep deadlines and aren't sleeping as much as you would like. OR you are lonely after dinner and watch hours of entertainment or catching up on the latest season of a show. You don't get much else done but at least you don't feel as lonely.

An example of re-focusing might be re-evaluating why you love to sing. Is the feel-good aspect the distraction or is it the wrong season? If you are able to surrender your own need for applause and develop the self-discipline to allow wise counsel to guide you, use it only to honour God and bless others, then you have refocused this area. If you cannot genuinely honour God or serve others in a way that points them to Him through this area, then it must be discarded.

Sometimes, such areas as ones that once it's clear where God fits in it, needs to be put into the surrender bucket.

General + Seasonal + Personal = NOW

These are the tasks where the season, God's heart and your passions all align. These are what matters most right now. Make time and effort to focus on these and make the output as fruitful as possible through obedience to the Spirit of God (our own efforts and plans are piddling in comparison - work with Him to turn on the 'turbo').

The Next Steps

Do a brain dump of all your current responsibilities and tasks. Evaluate them for whether they have aspects of general, season and/or personal purpose then categorise them into Duty, Surrender, Chaff or NOW tasks.

For all the Chaff tasks, decide which ones to bin/remove from your calendar, and which need refocusing and surrendering to God.
For those in Surrender, bow your heart to God. Don't negotiate. Just lay them aside and make time to pray about it regularly. God will make the way for you, not you.

When you get to the Duty box, choose one task to find faster ways to do at a time and experiment until you are able to whiz through them so that they don't clutter up your day. If they are not something you can do faster, pray and ask God how to add a fresh view of His heart and your passion and personal purpose to it for a new perspective.

For those in the Now box, make these your priority and do them efficiently, do them well.

May God's hand be with you powerfully as you prayerfully consider your stewardship and seek to complete it all with Him, His way. There are great things yet to come!

To hear the audio sermon for this topic, check out our MixCloud play list and search for 'CovenantYouth'.

His Promises are to YOU

What promise of God have you left in a corner, afraid of failure? Unsure if it's for you?

Are you measuring possibility based on your ability or knowledge? God is not bound by the natural and physical laws of this world, nor by people's personality. Quit measuring possibility that way!

If you're unsure that God's promises are for you, I can assure you that God has no favourites. Yet, it is only those who ask and believe that will experience the kind of life and joy that God intended all His children to have.

If you want to know more about a promise, ask Him (Matt 7:7). Look into it. Find out what God is saying about this promise in regards to you - and you don't necessarily have to wait for someone knowledgeable to tell you the answer. Search God's word for yourself too. Become fully persuaded about it (Rom 4:19-21)!

The Almighty Creator is your Heavenly Daddy - why not ask Him directly and sincerely? He will always answer a sincere plea for understanding (James 1:5). In fact, He waits to be asked because He's been wanting to tell you (Jer 33:3)!

Your head may say "it's impossible" but down in the depths of your heart, perhaps there is a tug. Faith in its purest form is childlike, uncomplicated. It doesn't have to understand how or why - it just knows that it IS: that God would never promise something contrary to what He is willing to do, and that He can do exactly what He said He can do.

In all your searching, remember this:
1. All the promises of God are in Him 'yes', and in Him 'Amen' to the glory of God the Father. 2 Cor 1:20
You know what 'yes' means. 'Amen' is 'i sincerely mean what I have said'. If God says 'Amen' to ALL His promises, then there are no exceptions. If you were to ask, "Did you make this promise to me, too?" Then the answer is "Yes. AMEN." As far as He's concerned, if He promised it, He'll do it.

2. God will make sure that His Name is glorified. His character demands that He is faithful to His Word (Num 23:19): the 'yes' and 'amen' is "to the glory of God the Father." And He'll set things up so that only He can get the credit.

Just be aware that because He can see all the jigsaw parts of every life and you can't, His way of accomplishing it, and when may be different to yours:
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways," says the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts your thoughts."

His part is to get it done; your part is to believe that He will.

Stand on His promises

When you believe a chair can hold you, you sit in it; if you believe a table is strong and stable, you'll put heavy things on it without hesitation, you'll even stand on it.

You've read the promises of God, now you need to stand on it. No more testing with the toes because that will never prove that your faith was well placed, nor the fullness of joy God has prepared for you. Put your WHOLE WEIGHT on God and you'll find that He is stronger than you ever dared to believe.