Zero Productivity

June 8

Read: Genesis 1

Zero Productivity

“And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it…” (v.28)

God’s plan for humanity is fruitful multiplication. God’s instruction to humanity is to “be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it.” It should come as no surprise to us then that sin, Satan, and those things which war against the Lord stand in total opposition to this first command given to us. Satan does NOT want you to be fruitful, Satan does NOT want you to multiply, Satan does NOT want you to fill the earth or subdue it. Notice how humanity begins with a blessing from God - “And God blessed them…” - the opportunity to participate with God in this work of creating, being fruitful, multiplying, filling the earth, and subduing it is a BLESSING.

Think of how many different ways this works out around us: Murder is the taking of someone’s life - this is the opposite of multiplication… it is subtraction! Abortion is the opposite of fruitful multiplication. Telling people it is bad to bear children is from Satan; making people feel like they shouldn’t “bring a child into this world” or that the world is “too populated” is a lie from Satan. (Take for instance countries who oppress their people and seek to regulate how many children a household can have! This is evil, oppressive, and NOT from the Lord.) What about altering your body - or mutilating it - so that you can no longer do what God has asked you to do? This is from the Devil as well. I know that romantic relationships are made up of so much more than procreation, but another example is homosexuality - at its core a relationship that has no ability to “be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth” like God has instructed. These are all different lies from Satan, deceptions that rob us of our BLESSING that the Lord has given humanity.

This concept holds true outside of human relationships as well. We are to be PRODUCTIVE in our lives… “fruitful”… bearing fruit for the Lord. To be given the chance to be creative and the call to be “fruitful and multiply” means we should use our gifts to “make” more of what God has entrusted us with. Think of Adam and Eve as they worked the soil and it gave forth a crop. The ways of Satan are not particularly “fruitful”. How much work do drunk people get done? (Or maybe I should say “good work”.) How productive are people when they are stoned or “high”? How much fruit comes from an adulterous relationship… cheating on your spouse? All of these things BREAK APART and DESTROY… not build up and multiply. They are the antithesis of what God asks.

Those things which war against the Lord - Satan, our flesh, the broken parts of the world, others who are dead in their trespasses and sins, those duped by the Devil - they stand in opposition to “fruitful multiplication, filling the earth, and subduing it.” They are all things which seek to hinder your ability to receive the BLESSING God gives through this instruction. Have you had the wool pulled over your eyes? Have you been seeking life someplace that does not have it? Have you bought the lie in one way or another? Look around us. God is awakening the hearts of his people. God is moving in our midst. Those around us are in need of HIS truth. The deceptions of the enemy are strong… There are many who have been duped. Lifestyles that war against the truth of the Lord are being CELEBRATED. Procedures that war against this first instruction from God are being advocated. As God’s people, we must seek to lovingly speak truth to those who have been duped… deceived… fallen prey to Satan. These are people who need rescuing - like hostages being held by an enemy. They are not our enemies - “we battle not against flesh and blood” - they have been taken captive by our enemy! (cf. Eph. 6:12) What does God want for YOU - his creation? He wants to BLESS you. He wants to give you a fruitful life of walking with him. He wants to multiply the work you do together with him. This is GOOD NEWS - too good to keep against ourselves. The people of God cannot for fear of rejection by this world remain silent as the lies of the enemy run rampant. Love you guys! - JDP