Don’t Be Busy—Be Fruitful: Examining Real Spiritual Fruitfulness

By Drew von Neida

“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”

—John 15:2

There is a difference between a soul that bears fruit for Christ and a life that is simply filled with religious activity. The difference is not always visible at first glance. Both may involve full schedules. Both may appear devoted. But only one is rooted in abiding communion with Christ, while the other is often driven by the restless energy of self.

This is not a new problem. Ministers may be full of business, and yet bring forth no fruit. Such a sobering thought calls for self-examination. In our age of constant motion, content creation, platform building, event planning, and program launching, we must ask: are we truly bearing fruit for the glory of Christ, or are we just busy for our own sense of purpose?

What Does It Mean to Bear Fruit?

In Scripture, fruit is the inevitable evidence of life in Christ. Jesus tells us in John 15 that unless we abide in Him, we cannot bear fruit. True spiritual fruit is not the product of mere effort, but of union. It flows from the sap of the Vine.

Fruit may include acts of service, but it is never limited to them. The fruit God delights in is often invisible to man: repentance, holiness, faith, humility, obedience, love for the brethren, patient endurance, joyful submission, and sound doctrine taking root in the heart.

Busy hands can operate apart from grace. But fruit is a product of grace.

Busyness Can Imitate Fruitfulness

There is no shortage of work in the vineyard of the Lord. But the danger lies in assuming that activity equals effectiveness, or that results mean approval.

A pastor may preach seven times a week and still not feed the flock. A missionary may travel across the world and yet carry no gospel in his mouth. A ministry team may launch program after program and still neglect prayer, doctrine, and love.

Martha was busy serving the Lord. But Mary chose the better portion, sitting at His feet. The one received commendation. The other a gentle rebuke (Luke 10:38–42).

The truth is, busyness often feeds the flesh: it keeps us from quiet repentance, from hidden prayer, from deep study, from Sabbath rest. It builds towers of straw instead of planting seeds that yield a harvest in due season.

The Call to Examine Our Ministry

Paul exhorts us, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith” (2 Cor. 13:5). The same principle applies to our service. Is the Lord truly at work through me? Or have I mistaken motion for maturity?

• Do I abide daily in Christ through prayer and the Word, or am I operating on fumes?
• Is my labor leading others into deeper communion with Christ, or just keeping them busy?
• Are the fruits of the Spirit increasing in me: love, joy, peace, patience, or am I growing weary, irritable, and anxious?
• Do I serve with a trembling dependence on God, or with confidence in my own ability?

Busyness can be the enemy of fruitfulness if it crowds out the very things that nourish our souls. The Puritans used to speak of secret duties. Those hidden acts of devotion that no one sees but God. These are the soil from which fruit grows. Without them, we may build ministries that impress men but do not please the Lord.

The Cure: Abiding, Not Achieving

Christ does not call us to be impressive. He calls us to abide.

“Abide in Me,” He says, “and you will bear much fruit.” This abiding is not a passive waiting, but a Spirit-empowered clinging. It is the life of faith: drawing from Christ daily, repenting often, rejoicing in His sufficiency, and yielding to His Word. From this root, real fruit grows. Slowly. Quietly. But surely.

And that fruit will remain.

It will not be burned up at the judgment seat. It will not wilt under the praise of man. It will endure, because it was born not of our striving, but of God’s working through us.

Don’t Be Busy. Be Faithful

Let us beware of confusing motion with ministry, or crowds with conversions. The Lord is not looking for laborers who are simply busy. He seeks those who are faithful, fruitful, and faithful because they abide in His Son.

May we be like that tree in Psalm 1: planted by streams of water, yielding fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither. Not flashy. Not frantic. But faithful.

And may our prayer ever be:

“Lord, make me fruitful. Not busy. But fruitful, for Your glory, and not my own.”

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