The Fruit of Surrender
Do you ever feel like you’re just spinning your wheels? You wake up, determined to be patient and kind, but by mid-morning, you’re frustrated, anxious, and reacting in ways you regret. Life feels like a constant battle against fear, worry, and things just not going your way. You try to control everything, but it only leaves you feeling more out of control.
What if the secret to gaining real peace and purpose wasn’t about trying harder, but about letting go? What if the path to a life overflowing with joy, confidence, and love was found in one simple, transformative principle: He must increase, but I must decrease.
This isn’t just a nice-sounding phrase; it’s a blueprint for a completely new way of living. In this post, we’ll unpack what it truly means to let Christ increase in your life and explore the incredible harvest that follows. Get ready to trade your fear for faith and your frustration for fulfillment.
Table of Contents
The Harvest of Righteousness: More Than Just “Being Good”
When we let Christ take the lead, something amazing begins to happen. It’s not about us gritting our teeth and trying to be perfect; it’s about His character starting to shine through us. The Bible calls this the “harvest of your righteousness.”
“Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.” – 2 Corinthians 9:10
Think of it this way: God gives you the seeds—the resources, the talents, the opportunities. When you invest those seeds in His work, He doesn’t just watch from a distance. He provides even more. If God calls you to a task, whether it’s teaching a Sunday school class in a dusty basement or starting a new career path,
He will equip you with everything you need to succeed. He won’t leave you hanging out to dry.
As you use what He gives you, you’ll find your abilities increasing. The Holy Spirit begins to produce a different kind of fruit in your life:
- Love
- Joy
- Peace
- Patience
- Kindness
- Goodness
- Faithfulness
- Self-Control
Take a moment and ask yourself:
- Is your life marked by joy, or is sadness a constant companion?
- Do you live in peace, or are you always fearful of what might happen next?
- Do you have self-control when things don’t go your way?
These aren’t meant to be questions of guilt, but guideposts. They show us where we’re trying to do things in our own strength and where we need to let Him increase.
Trading Fear for Faith: You Are Never Alone
Fear is one of the most powerful tools the enemy uses to keep us small and stuck. We fear for our children at school, we fear getting in the car, we fear the future. But when Christ is your shepherd, you don’t have to live that way.
“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” – Psalm 23:1-4
When you let Christ increase, you realize that wherever you go,
goodness and mercy are following you. If you go fast, they’re right behind you. If you go slow, they’re still there. When you walk through a trial, you can be confident that goodness and mercy have your back, because Christ is leading the way.
A Quick Tip for Overcoming Fear: The next time you feel overwhelmed by worry, stop and say this out loud: “Lord, today is not going to throw anything at me that you and I can’t handle together.” Know that He is with you, no matter what.
When God’s Discipline Feels Painful (And Why It’s a Good Thing)
Sometimes, the path of righteousness includes a little course correction. God’s discipline is never fun in the moment—it’s painful! But it’s a sign of His deep, fatherly love for us.
I learned this the hard way. The night before we had to put my first dog down, I wanted to take some final family pictures. I grabbed my best 35mm camera. A little voice inside, God, told me, “Get your little camera, the 110.” I argued back, “Lord, I don’t have film for that one, and this one takes much better pictures!” I was telling God why I shouldn’t do what He wanted me to do. Big mistake.
After we got the film developed, my heart sank. Not a single picture came out. Nothing. I was so upset with God. I went into my room to pray and ask Him what happened. He told me to go get the “good” camera and check the batteries. Sure enough, I had put them in wrong. When I asked, “Lord, why didn’t you just tell me the batteries were in the wrong?” His answer hit me hard:
“I wanted you to listen to me.”
That day, I learned to listen. That chastisement, though painful, produced a harvest of right living in me. When we accept His correction gratefully, it draws us closer to Him and strengthens our faith.
A Love That Defies Logic
Perhaps the most profound change that happens when Christ increases is in our capacity to love. It’s a divine love that overflows to everyone around us—not just our friends, but our enemies, too.
Think of Stephen in the Bible. As he was being stoned to death for his faith, he didn’t curse his attackers. He looked up to heaven and prayed,
“Lord, don’t charge them with this sin.”
That is a supernatural love. It’s the same love that caused Jesus, after being beaten and crucified, to say,
“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
This is the love that God wants to pour into you and through you. When someone cuts you off in traffic or says something hurtful, the natural response is anger. But when Christ is increasing in you, another response becomes possible: “God, forgive them. They don’t know what they’re doing.”
Your Invitation to a Deeper Life
Living a life where “He increases and you decrease” is a daily journey of surrender. It’s choosing to trust His guidance over your own understanding, His peace over your fear, and His love over your anger.
It’s not always easy, but the reward is a life of purpose, peace, and unshakable joy that you simply can’t find on your own. You become more and more like the image of God’s son, making better decisions and having a more powerful impact on the world around you.
Are you ready to stop striving and start abiding?
The journey starts with a simple step. If this message resonated with you, and you’re ready to explore what it means to live a life fully surrendered to Christ, we invite you to take the next step.
Sign up for our free 7-day devotional, “The Increase Challenge.” Each day, you’ll receive a short, powerful message with a practical step to help you let go of control and let God take the lead in your life.
[Click Here to Get Your Free 7-Day Devotional and Start Your Journey Today!]
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