Ministry fruitfulness is often measured not just by what we accomplish, but by who we equip along the way.
In ministry, there’s a difference between being productive and being fruitful.
Yes, I can push faders or cut cameras or solder cables and be productive by getting tasks done, but am I confident that my efforts in ministry are producing “fruit that will last,” like Jesus appointed his disciples to do in John 15:16?
We are all familiar with the parable of the sower, relayed in Matthew 13 and Mark 4, where Jesus tells of seed that was spread in four different environments, each leading to a different result. We often strictly relate that strictly to people’s salvation and their ability to retain the Word of the Lord. But there’s also a clear lesson in there that all of us serving in ministry need to heed.
As Jesus explains to his disciples the meaning of the parable, one section stands out: “Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.” (Mark 4:18-19).
A full schedule doesn’t always mean we’re producing fruit.
See, in this case, the soil wasn’t the problem: the seed grew easily and quickly. But it was choked out by products of its environment. Those things didn’t kill the plant, but they did make it unfruitful.
Serving in ministry is a wonderful environment and opportunity, and it usually leads us very quickly to a new level of excitement to serve and grow spiritually, going all-in to make a difference in our community. But over time, it can be easy for other things that may even be a byproduct of the environment to choke our ability to produce actual fruit.
The worries of life.
The deceitfulness of wealth.
The desires for other things.
When my focus becomes on those, I might still be “growing” as a plant, but I’m no longer fruitful.
It’s easy for the worries of life to occupy our minds and affect our hearts, especially in ministry, unfortunately. I can become so focused on things like perfection and identity, needing to prove myself and reinforce my self-worth, that my goal now becomes controlling my environment so I look as good as possible and avoid failure or hits to my reputation.
I may also have my identity become so dangerously intertwined with my job that the fear of change becomes a thorn that chokes my fruitfulness. Instead of trying new things, I’m afraid of change because of how it may affect my stability or perception in the eyes of others, and instead of trying to be fruitful for my ministry, I become a speed bump that actually hinders progress. I can become driven by stress, anxiety, and fear instead of humility and grace.
The deceitfulness of wealth, notoriety, and ego can be so dangerous in such a social media-driven world. We can create a new public perception and “mask” our own insecurities by creating a cool, trendy persona online. We can carefully craft our posts to show a certain side of our performance in order to fuel an ego that needs applause, maybe because we don’t get it from within the walls of our own ministry.
Sometimes the greatest threat to fruitfulness isn’t opposition—it’s distraction.”
Instead, we now spend more time and energy trying to build and maintain a following and garnering likes and reposts and less time thinking about how to cultivate and develop our teams. Ego and pride have become thorns that grew in our own backyard, and we allowed them to choke out our ability to replicate ourselves in others. Instead of guaranteeing generations of fruitfulness, we focus purely on feeding our own reputations.
Or what about the “desires for other things”?
Maybe I’m jealous or envious of others’ roles or influence. Maybe I wish I had the resources someone else had because I feel they would accentuate my abilities better and would allow me to shine more. Maybe I want a new position because it might finally lead to more credibility or respect, or I wish I was at a new ministry altogether because of the visibility it would provide.
Instead of focusing on what I do have, and doing my best to steward it and grow fruit, my longings for other things lead me to neglecting my own garden and allowing seeds of bitterness, resentment, and jealousy to grow, all of which are thorns that ultimately choke out my ability to be fruitful.
It’s easy to convince ourselves that anything we do in the service of the Lord in ministry will have a positive impact and help contribute to life change, and that even may be a reasonable assumption, since it’s God’s power at work in every circumstance and His ability to move isn’t limited by my performance.
But, if 1 Corinthians suggests that without love I am a noisy gong and am “nothing,” it also stands to reason that if my heart isn’t also right in other areas, my works in the service of the Lord may also not have the impact I would assume.
If our sense of worth is tied to our position, we may start protecting our role instead of serving the mission.
In fact, it’s true that if my heart is poisoned or distracted by jealousy, ego, or the pursuit of attention and glory, the things I think I’m doing for a kingdom impact are actually all going for naught.
It’s good for all of us to periodically take a step back to ask the Holy Spirit to search our hearts and minds like David did in Psalm 139:23-24: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
We all need a level of humility and purity to serve in ministry. Perfection isn’t the goal, but a willingness to allow the Lord to search and direct our hearts should be.
When we allow Him to guide our hearts and minds, then we can ensure that our focus stays on the right things and we continue to be a conduit He can use.
Otherwise, I might be productive as a noisy gong, but I’m sure not being fruitful like He needs me to be.
