And he (Jesus) went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons.”
Mark 3:13–15
Our greatest and highest calling is to be with Jesus. It is from this place of being “with Him” that we are able to bring forth fruit that remains. Since we have been called alongside Him for greater works, we must live with an awareness of the truth that apart from Him we can do nothing, but with Him all things are possible. (John 15:16; John 14:12; John 15:5; Matthew 19:26.)
It is our vital union with Him that empowers us. He is the vine; we are the branches. “With Him” is our calling. Sent out is our work. Our union with Him directs our work.
I cannot stress enough that the weariness we experience in our work can come from a broken or neglected union with Him. Times of refreshing come from the presence of the Lord. As our Good Shepherd, He leads us beside waters that refresh and restore our souls. (Acts 3:19; Psalm 23.)
Ephesians 2:10 states that we are His workmanship, created for good works that God has ordained for us to walk in. Fruitfulness is the result of our union with Him.
We can rest in the words of Jesus in John 15:16: “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last……”
We are known by the fruit we produce, both in our character and in our good works. We are all familiar with the fruit of the Spirit, and I would suggest that Galatians 5:22–23 provides a good measure by which to examine the fruit being produced in our lives as we walk in the Spirit.
Our time “with Him” brings the refining necessary for greater works. Every branch is subject to pruning. Jesus said that the branch that bears no fruit is taken away, while the branch that bears fruit is pruned so that it will bear even more fruit (John 15:2). We are also reminded in Matthew 7:16–20 that we will know a tree by its fruit.
We have all experienced seasons when we have not been as fruitful as we could have been. We may become weary in well-doing, carry things that were never ours to carry, become too busy, or allow ourselves to become distracted. We must always remain aware that we have been given a time and a season in which to produce fruit.
We see a warning in the parable of the barren fig tree in Luke 13:6–9. We see another when Jesus finds no fruit on a fig tree in Mark 11:12–25.
Both accounts give us sober reminders, particularly in seasons when we face opposition and darkness. The pressures to become complacent and comfortable are among the tools our enemy uses to draw us away from our union with Him and from our willingness to be about the Father’s business.
Again, it is our place “with Him” that keeps us engaged and empowered to do all that He has ordained for us.
My encouragement for this week is to guard our union with Him and make sure that we, too, are about our Father’s business.