New Wine - Day 19

John 15:7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.

How do you bring glory to the Father? How does the work you do in the vineyard, the things you do that bear fruit, show the world who God is? What does the fruit you bear look like, can you pinpoint it, and does it align with the Missio Dei or the mission of God? 

When we work for compassion, healing, justice, mercy, and equity and to let people know that God is for them and not against them, we are bearing good fruit into the world and showing the world the character of God through our actions. As we do these things, an imbued blessing resides in these actions and, therefore, our hearts. We are bearing good fruit, and God is blessing that fruit. 

This is not a formula. Those don't exist in our spiritual lives and theology. But there is a bit of cause and effect. It is like when you think about giving to God. God does not have to bless what we give to Him. However, our hearts are put to rest when we give with a glad heart. This creates a peace in us that transcends what we think we know. We are given this peace as we put our money in the places that God is asking us to put it. The peace that results is not the result of a formula, i.e., I give so I have to be blessed. . . Rather, it is a peace that comes from following Christ, even when it is inconvenient for us, even when it makes us decide on things that might not seem like they are in our best interests.

JOURNAL

1. Why would you need to do things that honor and bring glory to God? 
2. What would those things look like in your particular context?