* What does it mean to be faithful when I don’t feel fruitful?

I’m struggling with this feeling. I understand that as a Christian, I’m called to be faithful to God. I’m going to church, praying, reading my Bible, and trying to serve others. But I don’t see any results. I don’t feel like I’m making a difference in the world, my prayers feel unanswered, and my spiritual life feels stagnant. Everything feels… pointless. So, given this context of feeling spiritually dry, like my efforts are yielding no visible good, and I’m questioning the impact of my faithfulness: What does it actually mean to be faithful to God when I don’t feel fruitful, and how can I practically live that out in my day-to-day life while battling these feelings of inadequacy and discouragement?

Answer

Being faithful when you don’t feel fruitful means consistently adhering to your commitments, values, and beliefs despite a perceived lack of positive outcomes or visible results. It signifies maintaining dedication and loyalty even when experiencing feelings of discouragement, stagnation, or questioning the impact of your efforts.

This faithfulness encompasses several key aspects:

• Continuing in Obedience: It involves persistently following God’s commands, moral principles, or the dictates of your conscience, regardless of emotional satisfaction or tangible rewards. This obedience stems from a commitment to a higher authority or principle, not from a desire for personal gain.

• Maintaining Hope and Trust: Faithfulness, in this context, implies holding onto hope and trusting in a larger plan or purpose, even when immediate circumstances suggest otherwise. This requires a belief that even in periods of apparent barrenness, there is potential for future growth or that your actions contribute to a greater, unseen good.

• Persevering Through Difficulty: It necessitates enduring challenges, setbacks, and feelings of inadequacy without abandoning your responsibilities or compromising your integrity. This perseverance is rooted in a deep resolve to remain steadfast despite adversity.

• Focusing on the Process, Not Just the Outcome: Being faithful emphasizes the intrinsic value of the actions themselves, rather than solely focusing on the perceived lack of fruit or external validation. It’s about finding meaning and purpose in the journey, even when the destination seems distant or unattainable.

• Remaining Committed to Relationships: It means staying loyal and supportive in your relationships, even when you feel unappreciated or your efforts seem ineffective. This includes maintaining commitments to family, friends, partners, and communities.

• Practicing Gratitude and Contentment: It also includes acknowledging and appreciating the small blessings and moments of joy amidst the feelings of unfruitfulness. This helps to maintain perspective and prevent discouragement from overwhelming your spirit.

• Seeking Guidance and Support: It’s acknowledging that you are not alone and that seeking guidance from mentors, spiritual leaders, or supportive communities is a sign of strength, not weakness. This can provide renewed perspective and encouragement to continue.

• Remembering Past Blessings and Promises: It requires reflecting on past experiences where faithfulness yielded positive results, even if delayed. This can serve as a reminder of the potential for future fruitfulness and reinforce your commitment to staying the course.

In essence, being faithful when you don’t feel fruitful is a testament to the depth of your commitment and the strength of your character. It demonstrates that your actions are motivated by something beyond immediate gratification or visible success, and that you are willing to remain dedicated even in the absence of external rewards.

Pray This Prayer

Heavenly Father,

My heart feels heavy today, burdened by a question that echoes in my soul: What does it mean to be faithful when I don’t feel fruitful? I long to see the fruits of my labor, to witness the growth and abundance that signify Your presence and blessing. But right now, the harvest seems distant, the soil barren, and my efforts feel insignificant.

Forgive me, Lord, for tying my faith to visible outcomes. Help me to remember that faithfulness is not measured by the size of the yield, but by the persistence of the sowing. Teach me to find joy in the planting, the nurturing, and the daily tending, even when I cannot yet see the blossoms.

Show me how to trust in Your timing, even when it doesn’t align with my own. Remind me that You are the ultimate Gardener, and You know the seasons of growth. Perhaps this time of dormancy is necessary, a period of strengthening roots and preparing for a future harvest that I cannot yet imagine.

Help me to redefine my understanding of fruitfulness. Let it not be solely about outward achievements, but also about the inward transformation that occurs through steadfast devotion. May my faithfulness be seen in my unwavering love for You, my persistent pursuit of Your will, and my unwavering commitment to serving others, regardless of visible results.

Grant me the grace to persevere, even when discouraged. Fill me with Your peace that surpasses all understanding, knowing that You are with me in this season of seeming barrenness. Help me to trust in Your promises, knowing that You will bring forth fruit in its proper time.

Thank you for your unwavering love and constant presence. Help me to be faithful, even when I don’t feel fruitful, and to trust in Your perfect plan for my life.

In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.