Chosen to bear fruit

We have a young apple tree in our garden. During this month of October it’s an unusual sight. It has a crop of delicious eating apples and it’s also in blossom. I have asked one or two ‘experts’ if they know the reason for this. The best they can come up with is ‘climate change,’ but they’re not sure. None of them have heard of this phenomenon.

In July, I asked my husband if he would consider taking the tree out because it was growing bigger than we had anticipated when we planted it. To me it was a bit of a nuisance and was in the way. Instead of digging it up, he pruned, quite severely, the over-hanging branches that bore no fruit. The out-of-season blossom is growing at the points where the branches were pruned. I’m glad now the tree wasn’t dug up!

The tree is a picture of a human life. Some people have been treated as though they are a bit of a nuisance, in the way, and are fit for discarding. Consequently, they don’t feel their lives are very fruitful despite the fact that God sees them quite differently. He sees the true potential in every life. Every one of us is chosen to be fruitful.

The Bible says quite a bit about bearing fruit. Without exception we’re chosen to bear fruit. Bible pictures are often lessons on which we can base our lives. John chapter 15 is one such passage of Scripture. To become more fruitful, our lives have to be pruned. This means cutting away the things that hinder fruit bearing - the useless things that take up time and energy, as well as the sinful behavioural patterns that hinder our walk with the Lord Jesus. Pruning can be painful, but without it we will remain immature Christians, bearing little fruit. Some of the painful things we experience are often God’s way of pruning and cleansing us so that we can be more fruitful.

Fruitfulness results from remaining in Jesus. No branch can bear fruit unless it remains attached to the tree. We cannot bear fruit unless we stay attached to Jesus. By spending time with Jesus, we grow to be like Him. He desires daily dependence upon Him. He desires a daily commitment to following and obeying Him whatever the consequences. This inner fruitfulness precedes outward fruitfulness and leads to greater fruitfulness as we grow in love and faithfulness to Jesus our Lord.

Prayer: Father God, thank You that I have been chosen by You and my life has a purpose. I choose to remain in Jesus, and live my life for Him. Please show me if there are things that hinder me from being fruitful for You and give me the grace to be open and honest before You. I ask You to put the desire in my heart to grow in greater fruitfulness. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.