Business Should Bear Fruit
Business Should Bear Fruit
Business Should Bear Fruit
Business Should Bear Fruit
God created us in His image, gave us the entire planet to be His co-creators, and causes us to bear fruit for His kingdom.
The purpose of business is to bear fruit. God loves fruit! In fact, the word ‘fruit’ is mentioned over 200 times in in the Bible, and ‘vine’ and ‘vineyard’ are mentioned another 50+ times. God created us in His image, gave us the entire planet to be His co-creators, and causes us to bear fruit for His kingdom. This means our work has unending upside for God’s glory and our joy. Yet, we as humans have been stumbling over our gifts and this command since time began.
We Believe There Is Not Enough
A scarcity mindset often leads us to believe we must keep all the resources God gives us for our own use. The scarcity mindset leads us to believe we do not have enough to give back to God who freely gives us all things (Romans 8:32). In the parable of the tenants Jesus describes a landowner who rented his vineyard to tenants only to be rejected as he continually sent his servants, and eventually his son, to check on fruit production.
When we see our work and resources as something that must be guarded at all costs we make decisions that do not bear fruit. In everyday business this could result in the following consequences:
- Business owners and executives paying themselves too much and not fairly compensating those who do the everyday work.
- Manufacturers using poor quality material and risking the health of those who buy their products.
- Project managers who treat people as dispensable tools rather than loving them as humans created in the image of God.
- Hourly workers believing they must hide the fact that they do personal business on company time.
Sadly, this parable ends with the tenants killing the landlord’s son, “Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours” (Luke 20:14). The tenants believed that they could keep all of the resources and fruit for themselves.
Thankfully, the story does not end there as Jesus describes that the landlord will do away with those tenants and give the vineyard to others. Even better — Jesus reminds us that He has come to be the ultimate solution to this recurring problem when He says, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone” (Luke 20:17).
We Have An Infinite Resource
No matter what business we are in we can bear fruit. In fact, we can bear unlimited fruit because we have been given unlimited resources. If we know God, we lack nothing (Psalm 23:1). Jesus gave His life for this reason (John 10:18). And the night before He gave His life, He taught us how to bear fruit and stay connected to the Source.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. - John 15:1-7
From these words of Jesus, we see how much God cares about maximum fruit production. The Father cuts off fruitless branches and prunes branches that He calls to bear fruit. This demonstrates that we do not want to resist our command to bear fruit, nor do we want to resent God for shaping us through discipline or suffering in order to increase our fruit production.
Most importantly, Jesus’ teaching on the vine and the branches shows us the limitless nature of the resource we have to bear fruit. Jesus, the True Vine, is the life-giving source which enables us to bear fruit. Without Jesus our work is fruitless. When we approach our work the way Jesus commands our work is fruitful.
Fruit Is Love At Work
Fruit is introducing the love of Christ to others through our words and by our actions. Jesus charges us to ask for anything in Him and it will be done for us (John 15:7). This means asking for help in loving and caring for others as He does. This means sacrificing things we might be tempted to believe we deserve to serve others in love. This could result in actions like the following:
- Owners and executives who create environments that lead to employees’ and customers’ long-term flourishing even if it means less short-term margin.
- Manufacturers utilizing products that have benefits to the earth and the health of all people.
- Project managers who put love for people ahead deadlines and budgets.
- Hourly workers that do not have to hide their personal needs because they know their managers have their best interest in mind.
Fruit Leads To Glory
To do business in the vineyard is a gift with the unending upside of fruit-filled glory. To do business this way is a confirmation of who God created us to be. Bearing fruit in business is worship to God and loving service to others (Romans 12:1). The best part is that learning to trust Jesus, as we bear fruit, leads us to even greater fruit as we point others to Him in love. This is how we give glory to God.
This to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” John 15:8
The purpose of business is to bear fruit. God loves fruit! In fact, the word ‘fruit’ is mentioned over 200 times in in the Bible, and ‘vine’ and ‘vineyard’ are mentioned another 50+ times. God created us in His image, gave us the entire planet to be His co-creators, and causes us to bear fruit for His kingdom. This means our work has unending upside for God’s glory and our joy. Yet, we as humans have been stumbling over our gifts and this command since time began.
We Believe There Is Not Enough
A scarcity mindset often leads us to believe we must keep all the resources God gives us for our own use. The scarcity mindset leads us to believe we do not have enough to give back to God who freely gives us all things (Romans 8:32). In the parable of the tenants Jesus describes a landowner who rented his vineyard to tenants only to be rejected as he continually sent his servants, and eventually his son, to check on fruit production.
When we see our work and resources as something that must be guarded at all costs we make decisions that do not bear fruit. In everyday business this could result in the following consequences:
- Business owners and executives paying themselves too much and not fairly compensating those who do the everyday work.
- Manufacturers using poor quality material and risking the health of those who buy their products.
- Project managers who treat people as dispensable tools rather than loving them as humans created in the image of God.
- Hourly workers believing they must hide the fact that they do personal business on company time.
Sadly, this parable ends with the tenants killing the landlord’s son, “Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours” (Luke 20:14). The tenants believed that they could keep all of the resources and fruit for themselves.
Thankfully, the story does not end there as Jesus describes that the landlord will do away with those tenants and give the vineyard to others. Even better — Jesus reminds us that He has come to be the ultimate solution to this recurring problem when He says, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone” (Luke 20:17).
We Have An Infinite Resource
No matter what business we are in we can bear fruit. In fact, we can bear unlimited fruit because we have been given unlimited resources. If we know God, we lack nothing (Psalm 23:1). Jesus gave His life for this reason (John 10:18). And the night before He gave His life, He taught us how to bear fruit and stay connected to the Source.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. - John 15:1-7
From these words of Jesus, we see how much God cares about maximum fruit production. The Father cuts off fruitless branches and prunes branches that He calls to bear fruit. This demonstrates that we do not want to resist our command to bear fruit, nor do we want to resent God for shaping us through discipline or suffering in order to increase our fruit production.
Most importantly, Jesus’ teaching on the vine and the branches shows us the limitless nature of the resource we have to bear fruit. Jesus, the True Vine, is the life-giving source which enables us to bear fruit. Without Jesus our work is fruitless. When we approach our work the way Jesus commands our work is fruitful.
Fruit Is Love At Work
Fruit is introducing the love of Christ to others through our words and by our actions. Jesus charges us to ask for anything in Him and it will be done for us (John 15:7). This means asking for help in loving and caring for others as He does. This means sacrificing things we might be tempted to believe we deserve to serve others in love. This could result in actions like the following:
- Owners and executives who create environments that lead to employees’ and customers’ long-term flourishing even if it means less short-term margin.
- Manufacturers utilizing products that have benefits to the earth and the health of all people.
- Project managers who put love for people ahead deadlines and budgets.
- Hourly workers that do not have to hide their personal needs because they know their managers have their best interest in mind.
Fruit Leads To Glory
To do business in the vineyard is a gift with the unending upside of fruit-filled glory. To do business this way is a confirmation of who God created us to be. Bearing fruit in business is worship to God and loving service to others (Romans 12:1). The best part is that learning to trust Jesus, as we bear fruit, leads us to even greater fruit as we point others to Him in love. This is how we give glory to God.
This to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” John 15:8