Where Is Your Fruit?
06 August, 2014
The mouth is a powerful thing. With one slip up, we have power to say words to pierce companions deeper than a two-edged sword. In contrast, keeping thoughts and actions in line with the Gospel leads to glorifying words free of darkness. Words start at the heart, and when I’m not aligned with the Lord, my physical words and actions follow suit. Living in Guatemala with forty others, I can sometimes have selfish thoughts: “I” need the last scoop of peanut butter. “I” need more time in the bathroom. “I” need to use the phone. So often I’m caught up in me, me, me, thinking of my personal needs and holding myself on a pedestal.
Sad as it sounds, America revolves around selfishness, and magazine titles serve as examples of the troubled times. First Our Stars, then Us Weekly, and now Self Magazine. It’s all about us, and we’re not ashamed to flaunt it. Living with my new spiritual family in Guatemala, I’m training myself to untangle the ugly web of lies society taught me. Before arriving three weeks ago, I had my own room, car, phone, and time. I wasn’t told what to do or eat or wear, resulting in a prideful ego well over the roof. Funny as it is, Americans may have immense freedom, able to do and say whatever, yet they’re desperately craving a savior.
Names of latest stores and fads prove it: True Religion, Soul Cycle, Salvation, Free People, All Saints... executives on Wall Street are not fools; they see a yearning for God, using it to their advantage.
As Christians, we’re called to be set apart from selfish ambitions of society. In Luke 8, Jesus instructs to keep “fertile soil” in actions and thoughts, free of thorns and thistles. Reading this, I tend to think I’ve mastered Christianity; surely I must be good soil, right? Thinking further, who am I to assume my soil is fertile? Are the plants I’m producing always tall, bright, and colorful? Are there any withering leaves? Is my fruit ripe and juicy, and have I matured to completion? At harvest-time, I want the Lord to choose me, noticing my bright colors and strong stem; I pray He’ll store me in His barn and use me for pies and jams.
To become an orchard, it’s crucial I pick out weeds at their root every morning. Every ill-thought, temptation, or word sparks a new thistle, and it’s imperative to remove them immediately. Spending time with Him every morning and evening serves as sunlight and rain, moistening and nurturing my garden with utmost care. Through Godly wisdom, my newly bloomed plant can grow and eventually multiply, providing fruit my Gardener desires. I need to accurately evaluate my heart constantly to keep soil up-to-par.
Disciples produce fruit. (Luke 15:8) All things flow out of the heart, be it flowers or thorns, and nipping sin in the bud is crucial. Standing at the pearly gates, I expect one question: where’s your fruit? Through His provision, I pray to produce a plethora of produce, lay it at my Gardener’s feet, and thank Him for care.
