𝐆𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐆𝐨𝐝’𝐬 𝐎𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤
We often use the analogy of the manufacturer, the electronic device, and the manual. When we buy a new device, we first read the manual to learn how to use it.
We miss out on what the manufacturer intended with the gadget when we ignore the manual, so we end up underusing, misusing or abusing it.
God is our designer (the Creator), and we are the tools. His Word (via the Scriptures and Rhema word) is the manual we are to follow to live the most optimal lives possible on this planet. We can never live a fulfilling life while disconnected from the Creator. Only the Creator understands why He created you and me. We’ll never figure it out on our own.
𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐞…
Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself without remaining in the Vine, neither can you bear fruit, producing evidence of your faith unless you remain in Him. The Vine is already fruitful. He overcame death and is now seated on the right-hand side of the Father, the Husbandman.
𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐓𝐨𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐧𝐞
𝐼 𝑎𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑒 𝑉𝑖𝑛𝑒, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑀𝑦 𝐹𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑟. 𝐸𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑐ℎ 𝑖𝑛 𝑀𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑓𝑟𝑢𝑖𝑡, 𝐻𝑒 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑤𝑎𝑦; 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑐ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑒𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑓𝑟𝑢𝑖𝑡, 𝐻𝑒 [𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑𝑙𝑦] 𝑝𝑟𝑢𝑛𝑒𝑠, 𝑠𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑡 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑢𝑖𝑡 [𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑟𝑖𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑟 𝑓𝑟𝑢𝑖𝑡]. 𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑙𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑦 𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑛 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑊𝑜𝑟𝑑 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑐ℎ 𝐼 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢 [𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑐ℎ 𝐼 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑢𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑦𝑜𝑢]. 𝑅𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑀𝑒, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐼 [𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛] 𝑖𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢.
𝐽𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑎𝑠 𝑛𝑜 𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑐ℎ 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑓𝑟𝑢𝑖𝑡 𝑏𝑦 𝑖𝑡𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑉𝑖𝑛𝑒, 𝑛𝑒𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢 [𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑓𝑟𝑢𝑖𝑡, 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑓𝑎𝑖𝑡ℎ] 𝑢𝑛𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑀𝑒. 𝐼 𝑎𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑉𝑖𝑛𝑒; 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑠. 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑀𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐼 𝑖𝑛 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠 𝑚𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑓𝑟𝑢𝑖𝑡, 𝑓𝑜𝑟 [𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑤𝑖𝑠𝑒] 𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑀𝑒 [𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑠, 𝑐𝑢𝑡 𝑜𝑓𝑓 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑀𝑒] 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑑𝑜 𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔. 𝐼𝑓 𝑎𝑛𝑦𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑀𝑒, ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑎 [𝑏𝑟𝑜𝑘𝑒𝑛 𝑜𝑓𝑓] 𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑐ℎ, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑠; 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑔𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑤 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑒, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑑. 𝐼𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑀𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑀𝑦 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑠 𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢 [𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑓 𝑤𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑀𝑦 𝑚𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡], 𝑎𝑠𝑘 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑤𝑖𝑠ℎ, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑡 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒 𝑑𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑦𝑜𝑢. 𝑀𝑦 𝐹𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑠 𝑔𝑙𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 ℎ𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑚𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑓𝑟𝑢𝑖𝑡, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑀𝑦 [𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑒] 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑖𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑠.
~ 𝐽𝑜ℎ𝑛 15:1-8
In this Scripture, Jesus is the Vine, God is the Husbandman, and we are the branches. Abiding in Jesus is a very active way of life! It means living in such a way that we are always in Him, walking hand in hand with Him, and living by His Word. If we obey it through the power of the Holy Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit and the virtues of Jesus will manifest in our lives. In ancient Israel, vines were a principal crop.
Taking the best of an Israelite’s vineyards could deprive a family of food or affect their income. The best fruits are obtained when vines are pruned. Thorny hedges surrounded extensive vineyards. A tower was placed in the vineyard for a watchman to guard the vineyard against thieves and destroyers. When Jesus used this example, the Jews understood what He meant.
Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself without remaining in the Vine, neither can you bear fruit, producing evidence of your faith unless you remain in Him. The Vine is already fruitful. He overcame death and is now seated on the right-hand side of the Father, the Husbandman.
𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐓𝐨𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠? My Kenyan Analogy
-Jesus: the Coffee Plant
-Believers: The Branches
-Holy Spirit: The Helper
We may understand coffee plants better in our cultural context. My father grew this cash crop near the slopes of Mt. Kenya for most of my childhood. In my analogy, Jesus is the coffee plant while we are the branches. God is the farmer and owner of everything. The Holy Spirit is the (farm help) or Helper, and the coffee beans are the fruits we are to bear.
Verse 2 says, “𝐸𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑐ℎ 𝑖𝑛 𝑀𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑓𝑟𝑢𝑖𝑡, 𝐻𝑒 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑤𝑎𝑦; 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑐ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑒𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑓𝑟𝑢𝑖𝑡, 𝐻𝑒 [𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑𝑙𝑦] 𝑝𝑟𝑢𝑛𝑒𝑠, 𝑠𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑡 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑢𝑖𝑡 [𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑟𝑖𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑟 𝑓𝑟𝑢𝑖𝑡].”
Every season, I saw my father prune the coffee plant. He trimmed them by removing dead or overgrown branches or stems to encourage growth. He cut off the dead and unproductive branches and used them to light fires. He trimmed the branches still attached to the coffee plant and appeared healthy and full of potential.
Trimming is an unpleasant experience for the branches. Both branches, whether productive or thrown to the fire, are cut. However, one results in total destruction, whereas the other yields significantly more fruit. We must be patient with the Farmer while he prunes, trusting that He knows what He is doing, that He has our best interests at heart, and that He wants us to bear more fruit. Our role is to stay in the Vine.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐅𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠?
Every Christian is clearly called to bear fruit—the fruit of the Spirit. In the Christian life, bearing the fruit of the Spirit is not optional.
Bearing fruit is the result of obedience to God’s Word and the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
Indifference to God’s will and wilful disobedience to God’s will indicate that I am not a true Christian—a follower of Christ—and thus cannot have fellowship with Jesus Christ and the Father (John 14:15-17; John 14:21,23-24; 1 John 1:6-7).
𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐅𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞…
Jesus, Himself says that each branch that does not bear fruit is taken away by the Father. Such a thought should wake me up to the seriousness of the situation, but it should not lead to discouragement, hopelessness, or heaviness. Rather, it should serve as motivation for me to bear more fruit and fellowship with Him!
So, how am I going to bear fruit? Only by the power of the Spirit can the fruit of the Spirit manifest in me. No amount of self-effort can produce spiritual results. For the fruit of the Spirit to come forth instead of my own nature, I must completely surrender my self-will to God. When Jesus is my first love and reigns in my heart and mind, I experience total surrender. Then it is His will—His Word—that is carried out in my life, not mine. The fruit of the Spirit, the fruit of obeying Jesus’ words, will then come forth naturally.
The joy and satisfaction that come with bearing more perfect and abundant fruit are not only reserved for the vinedresser but are shared by the branch as well. The branch rejoices with the vinedresser because it desires to bear more perfect and abundant fruit so that the vinedresser may be glorified. That is why the branch can bear the pain of pruning, just as Jesus could bear the pain of the cross.
… 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑗𝑜𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑠𝑒𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝐻𝑖𝑚 𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑠…
~ 𝐻𝑒𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑤𝑠 12:2
In John 15:8, Jesus said that bearing ‘much fruit’ serves as a sign of a true disciple because the plentiful harvest brings much glory to the Father.
As followers of Christ, we are called to bear fruits for us to enjoy with others who are called to experience our impact. Therefore, we should take the time to cultivate the fruits and allow God’s glory to be revealed through our work.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 (𝐛𝐮𝐭) 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐁𝐲 𝐆𝐨𝐝
On the outside, both cutting off to hurt and PRUNING looks the same. But the Farmer knows what He is doing… Pruning removes the weight that causes you to wither. Pruning will cause you to bear more fruit.
Trust Him and His process.
Relationships
God often prunes unhealthy or unproductive relationships from our lives to make room for those that are more aligned with His purpose for us. This can be painful, especially if we are emotionally attached, but it’s crucial for our spiritual growth. He may remove toxic friendships, romantic relationships that lead us away from Him, or even familial ties that hinder our walk with Christ.
Jobs
Sometimes, God will remove us from a job or career that is not in alignment with His plan. This could be a job that is unethical, causes undue stress, or simply isn’t fulfilling His purpose for our lives. Though the loss can be challenging, it often leads to new opportunities that better fit our skills, passions, and His calling.
Business
In the realm of business, pruning might mean the failure or closing of a business venture. This can be particularly difficult, especially if a lot of time, money, and effort have been invested. However, God may be redirecting us towards a path that is more in line with His will and our ultimate good.
Yo can read of my experience of loss of my business fro my book: Jesus Killed My Business-But Gave Me His https://kenyaclc.org/…/jesus-killed-my-business-by…/…
Ministry
Even in ministry, God prunes. He may close doors to certain opportunities, shift us to different roles, or take us out of ministry altogether for a season. This helps us refocus, renew our commitment, and often leads to more effective and impactful service in His Kingdom.
Money
Financial pruning can be one of the most challenging experiences. God may allow financial hardship to teach us reliance on Him, to refine our character, or to shift our priorities away from materialism. This often leads to a deeper trust in God’s provision and a more generous spirit.
Watch out for my upcoming book: A Careless Life
Wealth
God may reduce our wealth to teach us humility, contentment, and the value of eternal treasures over earthly riches. This pruning helps us understand that true wealth is found in our relationship with Him and not in our bank accounts.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠
The ultimate purpose of God’s pruning is to make us more like Christ and to prepare us for greater works.
While the process is often painful and can involve significant loss, it leads to greater spiritual health, deeper faith, and increased fruitfulness in our lives.
Embracing this process and trusting God’s plan allows us to grow in ways we could never imagine on our own.
"𝐏𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞, 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐮𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡."
𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲’𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: 𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐧𝐞
The foundational tool to recovery from modern-day workaholism to working without toiling is this: purpose!
Purpose is the driving force that gives meaning and direction to our lives. It helps us prioritise what truly matters and allows us to find fulfilment in our work. By aligning ourselves with our true purpose, we can break free from the cycle of workaholism and find a healthier balance between work and rest. So, take this time to reflect on your purpose and how it can guide you towards a more meaningful and fulfilling life. Trust that the Holy Spirit will illuminate your path and empower you to live.
We will miss out on what the Creator intended for us if we ignore the manual (the Bible). We can easily end up underusing, misusing, or abusing our potential and purpose. Have you read the manual of yourself from the Creator? Could this be the reason you are not operating at your optimal level?
Are you the branch that is pruned to bear more fruit or the disconnected one that is withering and is due to be cast into the fire? It is essential for you to reflect on your connection with the Creator and examine whether you are aligning yourself with His intended purpose for your life. By seeking guidance from the manual (the Bible) and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide you, you will find fulfilment and live a life that bears fruit.
On the contrast, ignoring this vital aspect may lead you to miss out on the abundant life that awaits you. Let’s continue the journey to restoring the heart of worship in our daily work.
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