SPEAKER: JOSEPH TAN
TEXT: PSALMS 1:1-3
1 Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.
Fruitfulness vs Productivity
Life is like a garden – there’s always a lot of effort to tend it, to remove weeds, etc before we enjoy its fruit in season. The phrase ‘fruit in season’ tells us very much about what the Bible regards as important: while the world talks about productivity, the Christian focuses on fruitfulness. Productivity has to do with efficiency, while fruitfulness has to do with effectiveness. What does fruitfulness imply?
In John 15, Jesus called on his followers to abide in him. Only by abiding in him or obeying will the Christian bear much fruit (v5) and only then will there be joy (v11).
These Biblical truths point us towards lessons in parenting. It is intentional, it bears fruit, and it produces joy. And joy ultimately sustains us and builds up the total person, spirit, body and soul. Joy is therefore not merely the fruit of a faithful life of attentiveness and obedience, it is also the seed of a person’s strength. In parenting, we must be careful to nurture that which bears the fruit of joy.
The Anatomy of Strength
College Administrator Edward Anderson once said, “Most students leave college because of disillusionment, discouragement, or reduced motivation, than because of lack of ability or dismissal by school administration.”
Children face similar challenges in the home while parents struggle to understand why. Just as joy is essential to productivity in school and the workplace, joy is the key to fruitful parenting. How do we cultivate this?
Proverbs 22:6 says,"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” The way that a child should go must be according to her bent and natural inclination, or strengths. This is because we are all not wired the same way – we all function differently.
As Romans 12:4 says, “For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function.” When a person performs according to her bent or strengths, there is growth and development as well as joy. Parents must be careful not to push a child in a direction that is against her bent but instead work with their child's strengths.
The test of a fruit lies in its taste. The taste of fruitfulness is joy. We will be better parents when we acknowledge this important aspect of our parenting effort.
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Joseph Tan is the Director of Good Monday Consulting, a training and consulting company which focuses on the personal transformation of the individual by developing character and
discovering strengths. He is also a certified instructor with the Character Training Institute (corporate and education) and leads the Malaysian chapter of Answers in Genesis. Joseph and his wife Debra homeschool their two daughters Eliza and Eunice, and worship at DUMC.
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