The first command of the Bible is perhaps the only one that humanity has adequately fulfilled. It is found in Genesis 1:28 and reads, “God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth ...’”
We have certainly filled up the earth with people. But what if being fruitful means more than just having children? Perhaps it means we should live fruitful, productive lives. We have not been placed here just to survive; we are here to really live.
In John 15, Jesus says that he is the vine and we are the branches. In verse 8, Jesus is recorded as saying, “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”
Our job, Jesus says, is to bear fruit — to live fruitful lives. The initial key to living a fruitful life is to fill the spiritual vacuum in your heart with Jesus’ love. We all have a love deficit that only Jesus can fill. Once we are attached to the vine of life and receive the nourishment our souls need, we, the branches, can begin to bear fruit in abundance.
When we treat others with love, thoughtfulness, and kindness, we are bearing fruit. We are a blessing to others, and we find that we have a fountain of joy welling up in our own souls because we are doing what Jesus calls us to do. When we cherish those who are our companions and fellow journeymen in life, we are building community and a sense of belonging.
That meets one of the deepest needs in their lives and ours. We must have quality relationships to achieve fruitful lives and a sense of unity with a group of other people. Following Jesus enables fruitful community.
The famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright recounted many times about a lecture he received when he was only 9 years old that helped him to determine the philosophy that would guide his actions for the rest of his life.
An uncle, who was a no-nonsense person, had taken young Frank on a walk across a field that had just been covered with a one-inch layer of new snow. On the far side of the field, his uncle turned quickly and pointed back at their footprints in the snow. "I have a lesson in life for you, my boy," his uncle stated. "Your footsteps go aimlessly back and forth from the cattle you were petting, to where you threw a stick in the direction of that rabbit, over to that pool of water where you cracked the ice and stirred the water to get the fish moving.
"However," he continued. "You can see my path is straight across the field and I never wavered. I came directly to this spot; that was my goal. I pray you never forget this lesson."
After telling this story to groups of students Frank Lloyd Wright would conclude with a big grin on his face, “I never forgot that lesson. It guided me the rest of my life as I determined right then that I would walk my way and not miss all the things in life that my uncle had missed."
Some of us are hard-driven to success and victory, but blessed are those among us who know how to explore the goodness of God’s creation and join him in his creative powers. It seems that every time God created something, he would say with excitement, “That’s good.”
It is good to join God in enjoying his creation. In addition to loving God and living in community with others, fruitful living has something to do with chasing bugs, petting dogs, playing with zeal, exploring creation, being curious, and using our creative powers.
God is like that and we are called to be like God.
Dr. Dan Darby is a retired United Methodist pastor.
