How to measure ‘fruit’ in your ministry

In a previous post, I proposed regarding the analogy of the vine (John 15) that we sometimes mistake our leaves for fruit, thinking that if we’re “getting involved” in ministry, we’re producing fruit. But ministry activities are just leaves—an essential part of the health of our ‘branch’, but not what makes God’s mouth water. Leaves aren’t yummy to him; fruit is.

This is a liberating and empowering distinction, essential to the longevity and true spiritual success of any ministry. Let me explain why.

Romans 8:28 tells us that “for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Many people take this to mean that everything we do for him is going to go as planned, and if there’s trouble it means Satan had his way (and God was off doing something else, I guess).

This wrong interpretation of Paul’s words reveals that we think what God wants most is to look at us and see big bushy, green, perfect trees with lots and lots of leaves. Camera-ready trees that look oh-so healthy. Competent and polished. 

But God is looking for fruit. Not leaves. I suspect he doesn’t even care very much how impressive our disciple-making ministries appear to the eye. That is why he doesn’t flinch at pruning us, humbling us. It’s all for the good of the fruit. God works ‘disasters’ for our good. Not for our comfort or appearance or even for our ‘success’, but for our good—as defined by the purpose for which he has called us.

What is that purpose? It’s found in the very next verse: “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers” (Rom 8:29). Our purpose is to bear the fruit of the vine of Jesus (John 15:4, 16). To become exactly like him, both in our suffering and in our eventual glory (Rom 8:17). To experience the Father’s love for his Son in the discipline that leads to perfection (Heb 2:10-11, 12:7,11).

If there was a glitch or even a total wipe-out at your last ministry event, don’t wonder if God skipped out on his end of the bargain. And goodness, don’t give Satan all the credit!

The only victory Satan could possibly have (Rom 8:31, 37-39) in your ministry—by far the greatest disaster—is if the branches of Christ forgot what was really important to God and resorted to bickering, strife, complaining, worrying, or jealousy against one another (Gal 5:19-21). Stinking, maggoty fruits of the flesh. 

Yes, there is a spiritual battle, and yes, it is fought in the events and relationships of real life, but winning or losing the battle has nothing to do with how polished and professional you appeared at your last ministry event. Satan only wins the day if Christ’s people bear worthless fruit. This is how the success or failure of your ministry is measured by God. It’s certainly how Jesus’ work was measured.

Knowing this changes the way you think and feel about your ministry. You might have 300 new converts as a result of your event, each a brand-new fruit-bearing tree with a lifetime of hard work and humility ahead of them as they begin to bear fruit in keeping with repentance. Or, you may finish with no converts, yet, if you kept your eye on the goal, the mature believers (also fruit-bearing trees) who faithfully ‘got involved’ came out more loaded with fruit than when they went in. Either way, God gets the fruit he’s after: more children resembling the Son he loves.

The good, the bad, the boring—all of it is in God’s control, to make each of us more like Jesus. This is the purpose for which he created you, and he will make sure that the events of your life serve his purpose, so that when he comes with his basket, you’re loaded with the fruit of the vine.