YIELD : submission to harvest

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the earth, it remains alone, but if it dies, it bears much fruit." (John 12:24)

When Jesus spoke these words to Andrew and Peter, He was preparing to live them to its fullest - to die on the cross in perfect obedience and reconciliation. And, in dying, He bore the fruit of glory to His Father.

However, Jesus YIELDed more than His physical body. He was God whom became man. And in becoming a man, He also YIELDed His rights and privileges of being Almighty God, and chose a life of immense ridicule, suffering and humiliation. What compels a person to do this? It can only be that the fruit He'd bear -- driven by love -- would be greater by far. And it was! The glory He brought to the Father through His obedience and the gracious atonement of our souls would be His fruit.

Apostle Paul caught on to this. Though he had the track record and background to be one of the greatest spiritual leaders of the Jewish people, having much to boast of, he chose to boast only of Christ. After a radical transformation of his identity, he testified before the Ephesians, "I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me..." [Acts 20:24] But, it was more than a task. It was his joy and desire.

He resonates this to the Philippians, "I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord... I want to know Christ... and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings..." [3:8,10]. He had such an intense desire for Christ that yielding his life was no longer thought of as a loss, but it was life itself because he would "gain Christ" [1:21]. In submitting his life, success, knowledge, power, and status, God was able to compel him to yield a vast harvest for Him.

How compelled are you for the glory of God and the desire for Christ?

We often fill our lives and identities with things that keep us from truly and fully taking hold of the surpassing greatness of Christ Jesus. And in doing so, we fear dying to ourselves, thinking we would lose so much if we did. The influences of our upbringing, our society and culture, even simply ourselves weaken the identity that God desires to grow in us.

And, we often find ourselves either consumed by temporary and lesser pleasures, thereby being satisfied in simply being a seed; or we become afraid of removing them, thinking we'd wilt and fall. If only we truly knew the glorious blooms and delights of our lives God has in store for us, then we'd be compelled to not only YIELD ourselves and gain Life, but to harvest the greatest YIELD for His Kingdom.