several of my friends and i have been talking about “fruit” in ministry…
in some cases we are so busy measuring the fruit that we forget that it is God who gives the growth… not us… not our skills, or abilities, or gifts, or personality, or knowledge… none of this… it is all Him! Whew, what a relief! Yes, we are His instruments, and should keep ourselves as sharp as possible, but sharpness as His instrument comes through intentional dwelling in Him, regular and meaningful conversation with Him… when we do this, we are renewed in our minds… THEN we are ready to be used by Him as His instrument of Grace to bring Peace to those around us… one more thing… rest… quietness… these are essential… rest IN HIM… yeah, it’s really hard to be still enough to do this sometimes, but that’s where discipline comes in… remember that self-control is a fruit of the Spirit!
then we serve, and have faith that time will tell about the fruit…
kingdom travelin' 
As some friends of mine in ministry say, “I simply obey what God has called me to do—I take no credit and I take no blame.” This all goes back to my blog awhile back: Let God be God!