Two Truths and a Lie

Have you played this ice-breaker game: Two Truths and a Lie? In a social setting, the premise is that each person will present the group with three "facts" about him/herself-- two facts being true, one being false, and the group is challenged with discerning the falsehood. Lively conversation, laughs, and genuine fascination over each other's lives ensues. 

Maybe I'm the only one who over-thinks social icebreaker games but this (and similar) "entertainment" freaks me out. While I appreciate that Two Truths and a Lie pushes us past our standard, mechanical small talk, in a single defining moment each of us must choose which portion of ourselves to reveal in light of our perceived identity within the group. eeek! Whether you decide to shock, validate, amuse, underwhelm, or impress, one's self-awareness rises to a critical peak and the response of the group to both the truths and the lie can have a lasting impact. 

This might be weak of me--losing my confidence over a silly game--but in the realm of infertility, I am engaged in a continual battle over my identity. If we turned Two Truths and a Lie into an identity + Bible trivia game, a group response to the following "facts" would powerfully affect an infertile couple or individual's ability to endure their journey well. Here goes: {see if you can find the lie}

1. God says to be fruitful and increase in number.  

2. God says that if we remain in Him we will bear much fruit. 

3. God says that if we are not increasing in number, we are not fruitful.  

What do you think? 

Hopefully the last one jumped out as the lie. All over the Bible and throughout history, God has said that we should be fruitful and multiply--filling the earth with next of kin and enjoying the blessing of family. In John 15:5, Jesus stated truth #2 and in verses 1-8 expands our understanding of fruit and the fruitful life. Here are some more truths about fruit. 

In John 15:16 Jesus says, You did not choose me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit--fruit that lasts...

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence).

Proverbs 11:28,30 But the righteous will flourish like the green leaf. The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life.

In direct translation, "fruit" means growth, or the product of growth; "fruitful" means productive, producing (good) results. 

These truths about bearing fruit--producing something beautiful that the Lord has crafted for His purposes--are critical for the heart of barren ones. These truths are equally critical for the hearts of those supporting and responding to barren ones. 

Do you see the fruit of time spent with the Lord? Doing His work, loving people, trusting in Him, meditating on the Word, answering the {tough} call, staying the course, being chiseled to better resemble Him? Do you know that this fruit lasts forever and is life-giving (in an eternal sense) to those around you? 

Our sight is too short, Church, our perspective grossly narrow when it comes to defining fruitfulness. We fail to perceive the beautiful fruit of the Spirit because it is not birthed from the flesh. This is crushing to those who God has appointed to bear fruit of a different sort.

One morning as my husband was leaving for work, he kissed me goodbye and whispered, "You're my fruitful vine." He was referring to Psalm 128:3, "Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine within your house, your children like olive plants around your table." When I asked him later what he meant, he said he realized the first portion of the verse is already true--that I am a fruitful [productive, growing, producing good results] vine. This changed me. That he or God or anyone else would call infertile me "fruitful" was the greatest affirmation I could ever receive. And not because I've worked so hard to perform for God or anyone else, but because He was bringing forth obvious growth from my quiet surrender. 

You don't need to be fertile to be fruitful, and we need not assume fruitfulness in fertility {though I'm sure we would all like to have both!}. 

Fertility lasts a certain span of years. It does not define you, but your experience with it will change you. Fruitfulness is a result of a genuine relationship with the Lord. It defines you, both now and forever. Despite the condition of your body, the onset or passing of fertility, you will never fail to bear fruit if your roots are securely in Him. 

Truth changes things, it brings people into freedom. You don't have to be enslaved, oppressed and depressed by falsehoods about who you are and what makes you valuable. Pray that God would expose the lies you're believing about your identity in the wake of infertility. Pray that you would start to see fruit in others that only comes from abiding in the Word and continuing in real relationship with Him. And be encouraged because you are a solid, flourishing tree, providing shade and shelter and life to those around you because of the life overflowing  from within you. 

John 15:5-16 NIV
Galatians 5:22-23 AMP
Proverbs 11:28,30 NIV
Psalm 128:3 NASB