Ripe or Rotten?

In Matthew chapter 7 Jesus is speaking to His disciples and the multitudes ….. Verses 15 through 20 speaks about “fruit” …”You’ll know them by their fruit”. Who’s “them”? The answer to that is those who follow Him!! Christians. 

Many of you are very familiar with this passage and many of you know I talk quite frequently about the fruit of our lives…. our character, our behavior, our attitudes. Mark 11:12-25 is a section of Scripture where Jesus declares he is “hungry”, sees a fig tree, goes to it… And in recognizing there were leaves but no fruit…..he curses that fig tree. What’s the point? 

So as usual, let’s do some self examination….. let’s ask ourselves with honest hearts…. do I have Godly fruit or do I just have leaves that RESEMBLE a fruitful tree??  Ya see, it’s really easy to go to a Bible study, be in a prayer group, wear a cross around your neck, throw scriptures out here and there to others. That’s good but there’s more! 

Here’s something to think about… when you go to the grocery store and you are selecting fruit one of the things that you do is “squeeze” the fruit for its ripeness and readiness. You do this because what it looks like on the outside doesn’t always mean the actual fruit is fresh and tasty on the inside!! Ask yourself this ….what does my fruit look like when I am squeezed?? What is my attitude? What is my behavior like? What radiates from me when I’m squeezed, when I’m pressed into a corner, or temporarily stalled and frustrated??  I can tell you that from experience in my own life when I’m stalled and frustrated, and pressed into a corner there’s work to be done in my behavior and attitude. I was just telling my daughter that as we learn to wait on God and follow his leading there are times of waiting… Sometimes way too long in our minds… But what’s most important is not just the waiting, it’s HOW we wait! What is my attitude? What is my behavior like while I’m waiting for God to unfold things? Remember back when God rescued the Israelites from the Egyptian’s  ….. Moses lead them through the Red Sea and from there… What a mess ….they roamed around for 40 years… Yes I said 40 years not days…all the while waiting to cross into the “promised land” BUT their attitudes and behavior were like a complaining ungrateful child. “How” they waited for God‘s leading was their demise. Grumbling, complaining, bad attitudes… not the way to “wait”. They never made it to the promised land, a whole generation passed before God granted them to pass into Canaan.  

 We all have destinies, we all have gifts and talents God places within each of us that he wants us to pursue for His purposes. How are you waiting as He puts the pieces of your life together for His Glory? What does your fruit look like, taste like, smell like? Let’s “let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire (mature and complete), wanting nothing”! (James 1:4)

Selah