Fruitful or Not?

He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
(‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭2‬ NIV)

I love this verse because it reminds me to be weary of the consequences of my actions. Consequences are not always negative. Consequence is defined as the effect, result or outcome of something that occurred earlier. For example, if I eat something too cheesy or with too many carbs, my digestive system will suffer; On the contrary, if I eat something plentiful in fiber, then my digestive system will thank me. Both actions have a consequence: one positive and one negative.

One area of my life that comes to mind is my finances. I make a certain wage now and I want to be responsible with those wages by paying my bills on time, tithing and saving money for unforeseen emergencies and established goals (launching my own business and planning for retirement).
If I am not able to tend to these goals with much discipline, why would I be fit to earn larger wages and achieve larger goals? It would be a waste. I have not born the fruit that I could have, therefore not proving worthy of having more “seed” to bear “more fruit”.

It is easy to get caught up in the norms of the world and allow our finances to get caught up in it, too. “I have to get my nails done” and “I HAVE to get my hair done” are some common statements you will hear women make, so it becomes a regular expense. For women who truly can afford it, this is totally fine. On the contrary, if your goals have not been financially fed and you are making resources available for beauty enhancements, then you are not being very “fruitful.”

Make a plan, submit it to God and hold yourself accountable. You’re worth every ounce of effort.

xoxoxoxo
DASH