Faithfulness to Fruitfulness

It is a privilege and joy to be able to serve the Lord through our brothers and sisters in Vienna. Seeing the mission being spread in other countries gives us hope that amidst a world of materialism, greed, and faithlessness, there are people who pursue God's work with much zeal and perseverance. These efforts of evangelization are already bearing fruit through the families that the Lord has touched and transformed through the years. Through the parents, many have come from Kids for Christ, Youth for Christ, Singles for Christ, and are now in Couples for Christ. It is a delight to see families who are faithfully and fruitfully serving the Lord.

Reflecting on this, we realize that the result of faithfulness is fruitfulness. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me (John 15:4). When we remain in Christ, He blesses the work of our hands. When we are faithful to Him, no matter what kind of persecution we go through, the work will continue to bear fruit. We remember the persecutions of the early church wherein many were fed to the lions, burned alive, stoned to death, and nailed on the cross. These were the consequences of their faithfulness to Christ. But yet, the blood of these martrys watered the work of evangelization, that Christianity grew to reach us 2,000 years later. The sufferings of their faithfulness bore great fruit.

If at times we are persecuted because of our faithfulness, we just press on and continue our work. Even daunting at times. Surely the Lord will be the one to bless it and make it grow. I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth. Therefore, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth (1 Corinthians 3: 6-7).

I am greatly inspired by the CFC's here in Vienna who press on by faithfully doing their part in spreading the Good News in Austria and in neighboring countries. They are very busy doing God's work, but not forgetting to put a smile on their faces that stems from the joy of the Lord in their hearts.

It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you (John 15:16).