results vs. fruit

We live in a performance-driven world where the main measure of success is results. In John Hayes' book Sub-merge (see previous post), he has a very good understanding of results. In ministry to the poor, you can't be too focused on performance. He rightly explains,


"God’s economy is indexed to obedience, not performance.” He goes on to clarify later in the book by saying, “performance focuses on results and is distracted into pressing for outcomes. Obedience focuses on God and bears fruit. Faith helps us distinguish the path of obedience from the drivenness of performance” (92, 190).


I find that refreshing when we are so often tempted to measure success by externals. Though results are flashy, God desires fruit.