Live a Fruitful Life
12 When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. 13 Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing. 14 And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful. 15 All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all.
-Titus 3:12-15
When writing prose, the important sections tend to be the introduction and the conclusion; the introduction to prompt the reader as to what they will be reading and the conclusion/final remarks to summarize and emphasize the concepts discussed. So as we enter the end of the book of Titus, what are Paul’s final words? He instructs Titus to ensure that the church body must devote to good works, help those in urgent need, and to not be unfruitful (Titus 3:14). Although we can learn how to do good works and serve those who are in need, what does it mean to not be unfruitful?
Paul used the Greek word akarpōs, translated as unfruitful, and is defined as not yielding what you are supposed to yield. Yield in this context being the actions we take in our life transformed by Christ. Being unfruitful then can be seen as being empty of good deeds or contributing nothing to the instruction of others.
It is not a suggestion by Paul for us to live fruitfully, but tied to our creation. For God had blessed mankind and commanded us to “be fruitful and multiply” (Gen 1:28). As “multiply” implies physical growth, then “fruitful” suggests spiritual growth.
But how? How do I know if I am fruitful? To answer this, we must dive deeper into understanding the purpose of our creation. Simply put, God created us to:
To have relationship with God (Isaiah 43:21)
To produce good works in relations to others (Ephesians 2:10)
If we are lacking in either part, then we are not being fruitful.
To recap, Paul instructs Titus, and us by extension, to not live an unfruitful life. In other words, we need to live a fruitful life. In order to understand how to live fruitfully, we need to understand the purpose of our life. By living life according to our purpose, we will bear fruit, be blessed with great growth, and find satisfaction.
Reflection Questions:
Can you identify areas of your life where you may be unfruitful? Are there habits or mindsets that prevent you from yielding good fruit?
If you feel your life lacks direction, how can you intentionally seek to align your actions with your God-given purpose to praise Him and perform good works?
Reflection:
Personally, I felt that this message was cut and dry. Like Pastor Daniel had shared, I had also not really read Titus in great detail; it is amazing and truly by God’s grace that so much crucial instruction can be packed in a short letter. I first thought to myself that I had progressed well in my life, as in my younger years I can say for sure that I was lacking in praising God or performing good works. While I have progressed, what drew my attention was the definition of unfruitfulness: not yielding what you are supposed to.
Am I yielding what I am supposed to? It doesn't matter if I bear apples if God had purposed in me to grow grapes; those apples are the trophies I delude myself into thinking are for God but ultimately serve me. Or, although I may appear as a healthy branch; if there are seasons that pass without fruit, then is that branch truly healthy?
As we enter into a time closer to Easter, I want to repent. Not only from disobedience, but also from stagnation. I pray that God will forgive me for my immature ways. I ask that the Holy Spirit empower me to not praise God or perform good works according to my will, or my own timeline, but according to God’s will.
