A Heart That Follows God
When we plant apple seeds, we expect an apple tree to grow. It’s the seed and the roots that decide what kind of tree grows in the soil.
Similarly, when we belong to God we expect goodness and righteousness to grow in our lives. It is the fruit of our actions that tells us what kind of seeds we’ve planted.
One of the ways we can identify the work of God in our life is by watching what type of fruit we produce. A sign of a growing and godly life is a heart that desires to live and act in accordance with God’s Word. Only someone who has spent time with God will produce that type of action in their life.
John cautions us to be mindful of what type of fruit our lives produce. When we truly belong to God, and we spend time with Him, our lives will naturally produce goodness and right living.
The goal is not to be prideful about how many good deeds we do, but instead, to cultivate a heart that wants to selflessly do good to others in the name of Jesus. We may not be perfect, but our hearts should desire to follow God.
Take a moment to think about your thoughts and actions over the past week. Do they reflect a heart that has been in a close relationship with God? Think of some steps you can take to create regular rhythms of spending time with God.
Godly and Wise
If you’re a parent or a parent-figure, you know that raising children can be one of the greatest joys you ever experience, and one of the biggest challenges you face. And if you’re a follower of Christ, you likely feel an added burden to make sure your kids grow up to know and love God.
In Proverbs 23:24, the author points out that joy in parenting comes when our children are two things: godly and wise. So, how do we help our kids become more like Jesus and develop the wisdom they need to navigate the challenges of life?
While there are different ways, here are two to start with...
Find a Christ-centered community:
As a parent, you’ll need to surround yourself with a community that loves Jesus so you’re not alone when raising kids gets challenging. If you don’t have that today, commit to taking the next step in that direction—join a small group, get connected at church, or invite like-minded friends over for dinner.
Teach kids to ask for help:
Whether your ...