October 15. Grapes Do Not Make Good Pumpkins.

What value are you to your team? As leaders, your value and the value of the team need to be aligned for a chance at long term success. It is perfectly ok not to be aligned with everyone. We are not going to align with everyone in the world.

We are all created so uniquely and experience things so uniquely that it is just statistically correct to think misalignment will happen. But if your value does not line up with another, then the relationship is certainly not likely going to be long term based.

There is stress, friction and frustration that occurs when misalignment happens, and we will instinctively avoid it. Think of a vineyard for a moment. If your value is about grapes and making them into wine, then selling pumpkins probably is not of much value.

But if you are a winemaker, the leader needs skills and knowledge about grapes. The team needs workers who will harvest. The team needs someone who designs the fermenting process. Members will also need to deliver the bottles and cases through distribution to be sold at retailers.

Where might some on your team be distracted from the team’s value? How might you bring the focus back to your grape or your value?

As a follower of Christ, what is the fruit that you bear? Have you ever thought of yourself as being a vine that delivers fruit for God? Maybe you deliver a lot of compassion? Maybe you are a teacher or maybe you work in missions. These might be your fruits.

I think when we sin, our ability to deliver our fruits for God is hampered. We read, "“You people of Sibmah, rich in vineyards, I will weep for you even more than I did for Jazer. Your spreading vines once reached as far as the Dead Sea, but the destroyer has stripped you bare! He has harvested your grapes and summer fruits.” Jeremiah 48:32 NLT.

Our sin seems to mess up our vine and its branches. Sin might plant the wrong seeds in the vineyard as well. When that happens, other fruits might begin to show up as if we grew it on purpose. Grapes showing up on pumpkin vines does not seem logical or helpful.

Imagine a pumpkin, a tomato, a shoe, or a telephone growing from your vine. They are all fine if that is the fruit God has given you to be fruitful with. But what are you producing? Are you doing it with love and compassion while growing in faith? Or could it be that your pumpkin vine has been cross pollinated by sin?

Where is your vine sprouting results that are not fruitful in the way that Jesus has asked you to be? What is the first thing that you can do about it in the next seven days?

Let us pray, Heavenly Father, thank you for the blessings of this day. Guide us as we grow in our walk with you. May our hearts and minds take actions that glorify you. Move us as we take steps forward in our journey with one another and be fruitful. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen,