Busy Bee
John 15:8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. (NRSV)
I used to think that the aim of life was finding happiness – until that futile pursuit drove me to the brink of life itself. It turns out that there’s something out there that’s much more valuable than happiness.
The average bee lives for less than forty days. During that time, it visits over a thousand flowers and produces less than a teaspoon of honey. For us, it is only a teaspoon of honey – for the bee, it’s a lifetime’s work. That teaspoon of honey is the evidence of a fruitful, productive life.
That bee was made to gather that pollen and produce that honey. And in the same way, you and I have been created by a very thoughtful Creator, to do what He made us to do.
Now, we can either choose to go with His plan and live a fruitful life, or squander it on ourselves in the pursuit of happiness. Jesus said,
John 15:8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. (NRSV)
In other words, His plan for your life and mine is that we should live them fruitfully. Of course, the fruit that you bear will be quite different to mine because He made us for different purposes. But whatever His plan for each individual’s life, the truth is that the fruit that we bear is for the benefit of others.
The honey is for the hive. Your fruit is for me. My fruit is for you. And the thing that blows me completely away is that there is such a deep and exquisite satisfaction in bearing the fruit that we’ve been designed to bear – a satisfaction that is so much more valuable than happiness.
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
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