As I have mentioned many times I was raised on a farm. We grew almost everything we ate. Including fruits. In north Alabama, the easiest fruit trees to grow were apples, peaches, plums, and pears. Most years fruit was abundant, and my dad would share it with anyone and everyone he saw. In our climate, almost anyone could grow fruit, but most did not. They were either not willing to put the work in, or they did not know how to grow fruit. Others were just too lazy to gain the knowledge to have a good crop. God has called us to bear spiritual fruit, but there is a process that is very similar to bearing physical fruit.
The first thing you need to do if you are going to have fruit from a tree is to plant the tree. You need to do this while the tree is dormant before warm weather comes. Then you dig a hole about three feet wide so the roots will have room to spread out and take hold in the ground. The depth should be 2-3 inches less than the depth of the root ball. This will give the tree a firm hold in the ground. If we are to bear spiritual fruit, we must first surrender our lives to Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we plant ourselves in Him. He is our anchor.
When we plant fruit trees, we must make sure they have proper nutrients and water. The same is true for spiritual fruit. The Lord Jesus gives us living water. In John 4:10 and 14, Jesus tells the woman at the well that He will give her living water and she will never thirst again. He gives water that springs up to everlasting life. He sustains us and refreshes our souls as we meet with Him each day in prayer. Our nutrients for growth are found in His Word. The Word gives food to our roots. The more we are in the Word, the stronger we will become. Our roots will gain strength to support our decisions and our growth.
John 4:10 “Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knew the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou would have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water”
John 4:14 “But whosoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
Another aspect of a healthy fruit tree if you want fruit is the pruning process. In John 15:2 Jesus said that a branch that did not bear fruit was to be cut off. Pruning is a means of giving fruit trees new life in the spring. We are to “cut away” or prune any areas that are not producing godly fruit. With fruit trees, many things can hinder the growth of fruit on a tree. A harsh winter, lack of pollination, and insects can keep a tree from producing fruit. When we are not staying in the word our hearts can grow cold, and no spiritual food, or allowing the worldly ways to creep back into our lives will all but kill our growth. When this is characteristic of our lives, we are putting ourselves in a position where Jesus will need to prune us or cut us away if we are not maintaining our fruit-bearing. A fruitless life is a faithless life. If there is no fruit it is evidence, there is no faith. A person who thinks they are fine with the Lord, when there is nothing to show for their words, is deceiving themselves. However, they cannot deceive God. He knows the heart better than we know ourselves.
John 15:2 “Every branch in me that bears not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that bears fruit, he purged it, that it may bring forth more fruit.”
He did not forgive us to just sit on a pew and check the boxes of spirituality. He created us to bear much fruit. However, we must yield to Him so that He will receive the glory for all that is good. So often I know that I have failed to yield the fruit God intended. It is those times I cling to I John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” My desire is to be used by God in any way He sees fit. I want to be a fruitful Christian. I want to stand before Him one day and hear Him say well done thou good and faithful servant.
