Bearing Fruit...

One of my mentors in college asked me a very difficult question one time: “If you stopped living for Christ today, would anyone know the difference?”

How do people know we are Christians? Can they tell? As we live our daily lives, living among our friends, our co-workers, our fellow students, can they tell that there is something different about us? How do people know we are Christians?

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches his disciples how to live their lives. Jesus’ request is that they live in such a way that they bear good fruit.
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” (Matthew 7:15-19)

Our fruit is what identifies us. The actions people see, the words that we speak, the things that we stand for… this is the fruit that people see. We are called to be fruit bearers in our daily lives. But what fruit are we supposed to bear? If we are recognized by our fruit, then what are we supposed to bear out in our lives? I think Paul gives us a glimpse in Galatians 5, when he discusses the fruit of the Spirit. Love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control… These are the qualities that we are called to display in our own lives. By this fruit we will be recognized.

How would our world be different if each of us determined that we would try to live out the fruit of the Spirit in our own lives? But, let’s be honest: we can’t force ourselves to bear fruit. We can’t grit our teeth, bear down, and force ourselves to display this spiritual fruit. Notice Paul’s statement: the fruit of the Spirit. This is the fruit that the Holy Spirit brings into our life. We can no more gain Godly patience on our own than we can make an apple sprout from our head. Rather, the Spirit is what brings the fruit. We are simply called to draw closer to God. If we draw closer to God in our hearts through prayer, worship, reading, etc, then this fruit will naturally begin to appear in our lives as well.

As Jesus reminds us, by the fruit the tree will be known. May we always bear good fruit in our lives in order to bless the lives of others. And when YOU are asked, “If you stopped living for Christ today, would anyone know the difference?”, may those around you be able to say, “Yes!”