30-Day Fruit Challenges

#1 Love Your Co-Worker

"For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again."

(2 Corinthians 5:14-15)

The 1st 30-day fruit challenge is to let the love of Christ compel you to love your co-worker. I have broken the challenge into 4 separate weeks.

Week #1

God has placed you at your place of employment for a specific purpose. Spend this week thinking about who God specifically wants you to show the love of Christ.

Week #2

Go out of your way this week for that co-worker by asking them how they spent their weekend to engage in meaningful conversion. Later in the week buy them a coffee or something from a local bakery.

Week #3

As you continue to have conversations with your co-worker, if there is a struggle at work or outside of the office, offer to pray for them.

Week #4

Ask your co-worker out to lunch this week and share your personal testimony with them and how God is actively working in your life.

Congratulations on completing the 1st 30-day fruit challenge!

#2 Undeniable Joy

"Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are his people and the sheep of His pasture." (Psalm 100:1-3)

For the 2nd 30-day fruit challenge, I would like you to repeat this verse every morning you wake up for the next 30 days. "This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it" (Pslam 118:24). Start off each day rejoicing and being thankful to God through prayer. Now go to work and display the joy of your salvation to co-workers regardless of your circumstances. Let them see something they can get excited about and give them a reason to want what you have. A personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

#3 Perfect Peace

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7)

As we move to the 3rd 30-day fruit challenge, I would like you to practice the four things listed below for the next 30 days to help alleviate your stress and anxiety. Use this time to grow closer to the Lord and as you share your struggles with Him, you'll find a peace only He can provide.

1) Spending time talking to God through prayer

2) Listening to God by reading the Bible

3) Thinking about God by meditating on His Word

4) Living for God by following His will for your life

The ability to display this type of peace in the workplace is critical because it will enable you to have conversations with co-workers looking for a similar peace. Think about this for a minute. Do you prefer to be around a person that is serene, calm, tranquil and peaceful versus someone in total disarray, confusion, turmoil and disruption? Just those words alone create feelings of anxiety and stress. Imagine the impact you can have on a co-worker by allowing them to see a peace only the fruit of the Spirit can provide.

#4 Persistent Patience

"Now we exhort you brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all." (1 Thessalonians 5:14)

For the 4th 30-day fruit challenge we are going to need to roll up our sleeves as we put these four patient workplace principles into practice with our co-workers.

1) The willingness to teach someone something new, even if it is the 5th time showing them

2) The ability to tolerate delay without compromising your integrity

3) Facing trials of various kinds at the office without getting upset or angry

4) Showing self-restraint and handling yourself with class when ill words are spoken to you by co-workers or even customers

You have what it takes to display patience in the workplace because of the Spirit that lives inside of you. Next time you are faced with a challenging situation that tests your patience, take a deep breath and remember how patient Christ has been with you.

#5 Kindling Kindness

"For His merciful kindness is great toward us, and the truth of the Lord endures forever." (Psalm 117:2)

You have made it to the midway point of the nine 30-day fruit challenges. Keep up the good work. You are doing great! This challenge is the best type of old school and has really become a lost art. Over the next 30 days I want you to write notes of encouragement to four separate co-workers. It could be thanking them for helping on a project to just appreciating having the opportunity to work with them. A simple but profound thing like a handwritten note through the power of Christ can show them an uncommon kindness that stirs their soul. In the middle of kindness is where meaningful and lasting friendships are created.

#6 Celebrating God's Goodness

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." (James 1:17)

You have come a long way by putting love, joy, peace, patience and kindness on full display in the workplace through the fruit of the Spirit. It has prepared you for this moment to take this next step over the next 30 days. The fruit challenge is to round up a couple friends, co-workers or former co-workers and celebrate God's goodness together by meeting each work day for 15 minutes to have a Bible Study. It could be first thing in the morning, during lunch or even right after work. Start by reading a chapter or two in the book of Psalms and just talk about what the verses mean to you. If you would like a great book to compliment your daily devotion, I highly recommend the classic book "You Can If You Think You Can" by Norman Vincent Peale. The book is full of inspirational stories that are sure to keep your devotions lively and full of enthusiasm.

#7 Faithfulness in China

"Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23)

For the seventh 30-day fruit challenge, I want you to repeat this verse every day at work.

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works." (Hebrews 10:23)

We have the awesome privilege to tell our co-workers about the faithfulness God offers us when we believe in Christ as our Lord and Savior. I love this quote from Vance Havner, "We must stir up the gift of God. Like sugar in the lemonade, it may be there but it needs to be set in motion." There is someone at work God has placed in your path that needs to have his or her love and good works stirred up. Pray for God to reveal that person to you over the next 30 days and for you to play a part in stirring up the gift of God in their life.

#8 Gentleness Giants

"Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. (Philippians 4:5)

A gentle spirit is a rare commodity these days. Over the next 30 days, this fruit challenge has you focusing on the two things listed below:

1) Be gentle with your words, actions and behaviors to your co-workers.

2) Think of a creative idea for community outreach in your area. It could be volunteering in a nearby children's home or feeding the less fortunate in a soup kitchen. Once you uncover what it is you are going to do, ask a co-worker if they would like to join you to serve your community with gentleness.

#9 Self-Control 101

"But for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:5-7)

In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Paul says "everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things." Another way to describe temperate is showing moderation or self-restraint. For the last 30-day fruit challenge I want you to identify the areas in your life where you can exercise more self-control. Bring those areas to God in prayer and ask for help through His Spirit. Let's layer onto our faith virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love. In doing so, we'll be putting ourselves in a position to be used by God and become more intentional about being mission minded in the workplace by illuminating the fruit of the Spirit.

Congratulations on completing the nine 30-day fruit challenges. To God be all the glory and honor!