Commentary: When the fruit doesn't come

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Here is some good news: God does not evaluate us by our fruitfulness, but by our faithfulness. 

God reminds us in 1 Corinthians 4:2 that, “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”  

Faithfulness in doing the right things consistently with trust in the Lord often leads to fruitfulness. But what happens when the fruit doesn’t come? What can we do then? Here are five things to do when you are faithful in your ministry leadership assignment but not seeing fruit. 

1. Pray: Ask God to save souls, build His church, provide financially, call out missionaries, raise up laborers and more. God hears and answers prayer. Nehemiah consistently prayed for success in his God-given assignment and vision. He asked the Lord for success, favor and more. In Nehemiah 1:11 he prayed, “O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” Now I was cupbearer to the king.” When we are not seeing fruit from our labor, we should pray.  

2. Evaluate: Ask good questions about your ministry. While many aspects of fruit-bearing are out of our control, some are not. For instance, if you are hoping to see people saved through your ministry, you can ask how many times you have had gospel conversations with lost people in the past month. If you are hoping to see your budget increase, you can ask how you have discipled the church in giving. While fruit is God’s responsibility, faithfulness is ours. Ask yourself if you are doing the work that precedes the fruit.  

3. Investigate: Determine if there is a blockage in your ministry. That seems to have been the case for the early church in Acts 6:1-7. The church was growing, but then a problem arose in the church with its widow ministry. After the problem was addressed, the number of disciples increased. Apparently, there was a blockage to the fruitfulness of the otherwise faithful ministry. Investigate your church or organization to see if something is keeping your work from bearing fruit.  

4. Seek Counsel: Mirrors allow us to see what others see. It is eye-opening to look in a mirror and discover broccoli in your teeth and wonder how long it has been there. When you are leading a ministry and not seeing fruit, then consider inviting a fresh set of eyes to look at your ministry leadership. Ask a ministry colleague, an associational leader, a state convention staff person or a ministry consultant to look at your work and share feedback. They may affirm what you are doing, or they may point out something that you were not able to see from your deeply involved perspective.  

5. Strengthen Your Resolve: Nancy Demoss Wolgemuth said, “Frustration is the by-product of attempting to fulfill responsibilities God does not intend for us to carry. Freedom, joy, and fruitfulness come from seeking to determine God’s priorities for each season of life, and then setting out to fulfill those priorities, in the power of His Spirit, realizing that He has provided the necessary time and abilities to do everything that He has called us to do.” As you are processing dry seasons in ministry, make certain that you determine by the grace of God to continue with His call for your life. 

When the fruit doesn’t come, we should be as wise as a seasoned farmer and ask why. Once we are settled that we are doing all we can, or we need to do something differently, then we can move forward with a fresh and renewed confidence in God and His mission. 

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Todd Gray is executive director-treasurer of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. This commentary first appeared in Kentucky Today.