The 100X imbalance in my (and likely your) work

Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. (Matthew 7:15-20)

Throughout my career, I’ve probably spent 100X more time, money, and energy measuring professional fruit—revenue, leads, conversion rates—than I’ve spent intentionally measuring personal fruit—who I am becoming as I pursue that professional fruit.

But the implication of Jesus’s words in the Sermon on the Mount is that we will be hyper-intentional about measuring that personal fruit.

Of course, it can feel much easier and practical to measure professional fruit. But it’s not impossible to measure personal fruit. In fact, Paul gives us a list of what spiritual fruit we ought to see growing in our lives. It’s hard to get more practical than a listicle! 

Here are Paul’s famous words in Galatians 5:22-23: “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

With that list in hand, let me challenge you to join me in measuring the personal fruit of your life and work today in three steps.

#1: Ask God to give you the humility to see your personal fruit accurately.

#2: For each fruit of the Spirit, ask yourself: “On a scale of 1-10, how [loving, joyful, peaceful, etc.] have I been at work over the last month?”

#3: Ask another believer to answer those questions on your behalf—ideally someone you work with. If you don’t work with another believer, ask a Christian outside your work who knows your work best (your spouse, best friend, pastor, etc.).

Now, the risk in teaching on the fruit of the Spirit is that you may interpret this as a to-do list and a call to action to try harder to produce this fruit. But Jesus made clear that this kind of fruit is not manufactured. It is grown organically out of a relationship with him. Jesus said, “If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit” (see John 15:4-5).

So yes, take stock of your personal fruit today. But regardless of your “score,” the “solution” to producing more is not trying harder, but abiding more. Stay connected to the Vine as you work today!