Preface:  I am doing a series on Offense over in my Facebook group, Going Beyond Shame and Guilt.  This is what popped up today and you can see how it developed into this post, so I am sharing it with you all, too.

Obviously this one is our “offense” post for today. But it’s so much more than that. Offense can cause us to be in a false sense of security because of our gifts. This says that we need to be “cultivationg” our relationship with Jesus so we will not be offended and we will bear fruit. Fruit is all throughout scripture and so is being attached to the vine which is Jesus.  WE cannot grow and produce fruit without being attached to the vine.  (See John 15)

This one really made me think. Cultivated. 1.refined and well educated. 2.prepare and use (land) for crops or gardening. (break up (soil) in preparation for sowing or planting; raise or grow (plants), especially on a large scale for commercial purposes.) 3.try to acquire or develop (a quality, sentiment, or skill). 4. try to win the friendship or favor of (someone). 5. apply oneself to improving or developing (one’s mind or manners).

Obviously, cultivation of our own fruit requires reading and studying of God’s word and prayer. (#1 and #3 and #5.) How can we have a relationship with Jesus and His Father if we are not having a conversation with them? If we are merely asking them for what we want and telling Him how to fix it for us, that’s not a conversation.

But look at what else. Preparing for crops; sowing and raising. Does this mean sowing seed? I know some verses for that! (Read Matthew 13. It’s all about seeds and sowers and sowing and there are explanations for each section. I love how He leaves nothing to chance and explains to make us get it.) And in Matthew 9:36-38 Jesus has compassion for the people. He wants them to have a relationship with Him and His Father. He states that the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. We are to pray for God to send workers. (WOW, this is turning into a blog post… think I will put it over there, too.)

And in one of the above definitions, the talks about being on a large scale. I’d love to bring as many people as I can to Jesus, wouldn’t you? So pray and see if you are a sower or a cultivator or a harvestor. And pray that God would send workers in His field today.

XOXO, Linda