I was walking home from church when I saw a pinecone on the church sidewalk. I felt God wanted me to pick it up, so reaching down to get it I knew God had one of those little nuggets to share with me. God said this cone is still closed, but in order for it to be useful, it must open up. The seeds are useless unless the cone is open and can release the seeds inside. Only when the cone is open can the seeds be dispersed, and only then will they have a chance to become planted wherever the wind (spirit) takes them and germinate and grow into the trees they were made to become. It is also possible that the seeds coming from the pinecone would keep other bad seeds from growing where the evergreen trees are supposed to be.
So it is with our lives that unless we are willing to open up and allow ourselves to be used as God intended, our actions are useless or at least not as useful as they can be. We may busy ourselves with a lot of different activities. And we may look, sound, and feel useful in our “busyness,” yet we are only fooling ourselves and maybe some of the folks around us. Matt 7:23, tells us that without God’s direction, our “works” are at best useless, and at the worst iniquity. Our works do not save us-we cannot work our way to heaven. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through (in) Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23) We are saved (born again) not only for us to inherit eternal life with our God, but to produce fruit (good works) that will bring others into the Kingdom of God with us. (Ephesians 2:8-10) Too many people stop at verse nine when they need to read at least through the tenth verse.
Therefore, open yourself up so your “seed” (your good works that will produce wonderful fruit) will be released and planted, germinate, and grow into whatever God intends for it (We may plant, water, and nourish, but only God gives the increase-makes it grow [1 Corinthians 3:7]).