Being Fruitful
As I was studying several days ago, I read John 12:24-25: "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life, loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal." God opened my eyes to see the results of dying to yourself, rather than just looking at the costs. Too often, we look at the cost of following, the cost of obedience when the instructions don't make sense, the cost of obedience when those around us don't agree. But we need to look at the results. Fruit. When a wheat plant falls to the ground, over time, it dies and is covered by dirt. But this, this friends, is the time when it truly lives. For, while in the earth, it is brought to life again in such a way that it not only lives again, but lives to bear much fruit. In dying to ourselves, we truly live and, more importantly, we help others to truly live. Lord, teac