I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. – John 15:5
The path to experiencing Kingdom fruit in your business is counter-cultural. It goes against a lot of what we learned in either business school, previous experience, or the many books/articles we consume on a weekly basis. The world itself is full of business principles that promise results, and many of them do so well. But to make profit your purpose rather than the Kingdom, is to allow the world to determine the direction of your business.
“Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.” – 1 John 2:15-16
“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” – Matthew 6:33
The world has a way of seeping into the fibers of our life in a way that greatly effects our daily decisions. It could look as small as choosing a task over a person in a moment of stress, or as large as an opportunity to pursue exponential growth at the expense of an already worn-out workforce. At the end of the day, when the world is steering the ship, the fruit is a people that are divisive, tired, operating in survival mode, and independent.
In this post, we want to engage the deep waters of Kingdom fruitfulness to help you evaluate if the Kingdom truly is coming in your business as it is in heaven. Jesus says in Matthew 7 that “you will know them by their fruits”, meaning you can look at the fruit of your organization and quickly determine whether it’s being lead by the Spirit of Jesus or by some other spirit.
Rejecting the way of the world and stepping into Kingdom leadership is a tough choice, but over time here are some examples of the type of fruit you’ll begin to see:
- You and your team are beginning to operate in your unique gifting.
- You’re more rested and less hurried.
- Team members are beginning to ask more questions and defer to their peer’s ideas/opinions.
- The people in your company begin to set aside their pursuit of promotions and recognition and humbly steward the positions they were given.
- Your own vulnerability leads to others feeling safe to open up about the struggles in their own lives.
- Profit maintains a high priority but you begin to see business decisions through the lens of how it will impact your people and customers.
- People are being celebrated for more than just what they produce.
- You find yourself and your leadership team beginning to release control and asking God to lead your day to day.
This is an incredible testament to the world around us of the power of Kingdom leadership, and we hope it fills you with hope to stay on the path!
Think and pray
Jesus said to seek the Kingdom above everything, and everything you need will be provided for you.
Father, help me to stay true to the path that You outlined for Your disciples and to continue trusting You to bring the fruit.
Kingdom At Work is a movement that seeks to inspire, equip, and ignite leaders to advance God’s Kingdom through their influence in the marketplace. Their mission is to reveal God and His Kingdom through our work in the marketplace. Learn more about Kingdom At Work at https://kingdomatwork.com.
