Where’s Your Fruit?

Posted on Jun 24, 2021 by Andre Whaley in Uncategorized |

“I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive—but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of my God. 3 Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. If you don’t wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief.

Revelation 3:1-3

A lot of us may be familiar with the story of Jesus cursing the fig tree in Mark 11:12-14. To summarize it, Jesus was hungry and from afar, He saw a fig tree with leaves even though it wasn’t the season for figs. He went to see if it had any fruit but it didn’t so Jesus cursed the tree.

Since figs weren’t in season, this tree was not supposed to have leaves. It looked the part but it was just smoke and mirrors.

Just like Adam and Eve used fig leaves to cover their nakedness in the garden (Genesis 3:7), the leaves of the fig tree served to cover up the fact that it had no fruit. The leaves were covering its barrenness and this caused it to be cursed forever.

Most people that are discouraged and looking for hope or hungry looking for Jesus, are not going to church. A lot of times we are the only Jesus they’re ever going to see. We may say that we are Christians, we may look and sound holy but when they look to us for a word of encouragement, a word of hope, or simply as an example of how to live a Godly lifestyle, what will they find? Will we be empty, or without substance? Will we have nothing to offer since we cannot give what we do not have? Or will we be fruitful?

Our Christian language, outward appearance and adornments might be pretty but those are just leaves. Where is the fruit? The fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

Do we put others first or at least treat them the way we would like to be treated? Do we have inner peace? How do we act when we are in a season of waiting? Are we actually putting God first or merely just saying it out of habit? Do we have a form of godliness and our church to do list always makes us seem too busy yet there’s no actual substance?

Now, I do believe that genuine faith produces good works that glorify God. I do believe that there are genuine people that devote themselves to doing what is good and their work is fruitful. Those who love and trust God have an unselfish concern for others. Their work serves God and not self and God gets the glory.

However, there are other people that have created a system where they live a robotic life, running around staying busy yet they are lifeless inside and they barely bear any fruit.

My prayer today is that we pray to God that we’re more than just leaves. Let’s make sure we also have the fruit to go along with it. Let’s be genuine and wait for our season instead of looking like we have it all together when we don’t. Let’s seek more of God, ask Him to strengthen our relationship with Him and bear the fruit that will give Him all the glory, lest he spits us out of His mouth.

15 “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! 16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!

Revelation 3:15-16