I like to think of loving the Lord with all your strength as loving the Lord with all the things that make you strong or stable in life: your accomplishments, your influence, your paycheck, your talents, your time, etc.—in other words, using these things for God's glory. However, if you are like me, sometimes your strength gets tired, or sick, or depressed, or wounded, and we don't love God very well, or we only love Him with a part of ourselves. When this happens, we favor some "spiritual muscles" over others, which leaves us with a lopsided life.

Everything about our work should display and demonstrate the very work that God is doing in our hearts, minds, and souls. I like to see it this way: as a Jesus Followers, everything about you should be changing, and everyone around you should be benefiting from your faith, whether they believe in Jesus or not.

We are God‘s representative here on earth, showing others who God is through the work that He has done in our lives. We are his hands and feet to the nations. God wants everybody to know how much He loves them and cares for them. Romans 5:8 says, “But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” God loved that coworker you find mildly annoying, that troublesome client, and that boss who micromanages you so much that He sent his only son to die for them!

No matter which part of the body of Christ you are, you are essential, and your role is significant. No one part of the human body is independent of the other parts of the body. We, as humans, tend to diminish some parts of the body in their significance because they are less visible, but God doesn’t; every part is completely necessary for the functioning of the whole. So which part are you?

Today, I want to finish talking about our fruit tree, as in our very body that is the temple of the living God (1 Corinthians 6:19). Over the last few blogs, we have talked about many aspects of being a believer who produces ripe, lasting spiritual fruit. But one thing we haven’t discussed is what good fruit actually looks like and the impact it has on those around us. The way I see it, our hearts and thoughts grow our attitudes, words, and actions - aka our fruit. They determine if what comes out of us is good or bad.

When we, as believers, plant ourselves in good soil and are well-watered, well-fertilized, and well-pruned, our roots will be strong, and the fruit that we produce will be fantastic! A great fruit tree will not produce great fruit until its roots are strong and it’s had time to mature. So, if you find yourself in a season that feels barren or if God is pruning something away in your life - be patient; the good fruit is coming.

There isn't a single person in the United States of America who doesn't have a possession that goes unused for a year. Every one of us has extra STUFF. Martha and I made a rule when we got married 35 years ago that if anything went unused in our home over the period of a year, we would give it away. And guess what, there's only been a few times I've given away something I wish I hadn't. The reality is that we all have things that go unused, whether they are possessions, talents, giftings, or resources.