BECOMING MORE FRUITFUL!

JOHN 15:8,16

 "You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear  fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.

This summer I decided that I was going to be diligent in my gardening. You can imagine this has been hard work, but what has been helpful is the thought that in the long run it will pay off. In fact I’m starting to enjoy some vegetables already!

A few days ago I was gazing at the garden and noticed that it was time to give support to the tomatoes. As I looked at the different plants that were coming up I realize that each one needed some kind of support and nurturing. The tomatoes needed a different kind of support from the beans, zucchini cucumber and beets. Tomatoes need something to lean on while beans and cucumber need something to climb and wrap around. Zucchini need room enough to spread out it’s large leafs and while some do well in the shade others do better in the sun.

I realized that it was my responsibility to give the specific support needed, because I chose, bought and planted these vegetables. As an amateur gardener, it is my responsibility to educate myself concerning these plants. I must know what’s in my garden and how to take care of it In order to secure the best possible fruit. I must also be diligent also in cultivating and pulling up the weeds in the garden. The plants can’t do this themselves.

In the same way, Jesus is saying we did not choose Him but rather He chose us and planted us in the Kingdom. He knows where each of us belong and what kind of fruit we are called to bear.  He knows who needs exactly what and precisely when. As we begin to grow some need a trellis right away to climb on, others can wait until fruit appears and so needing the support to lean on.

Even as weed come up in our lives Jesus as our gardener knows when its time to pull them up by the roots with the help of the Holy Spirit. The beautiful thing about the Holy Spirit is that He, our ultimate helper is able to be whatever we need Him to be at the time. We can lean on Him; we can climb up on Him and wrap ourselves around Him for support. In essence He’s our gardener. The tragedy is that we seem to want to stand alone bearing the weight of the fruit and the enemy is having a field day eating up our labor. Jesus said when He left earth that He would send a helper for us.  As Jesus has brought us into His kingdom, He will be faithful to His responsibility to take care of us.  That’s why the Holy Spirit is here. It is needless for us to struggle on our own, with the result of bearing little to no fruit.   

I have noticed something about gardening, and that is if I don’t give the support needed to the plant there will be fruit, but not necessarily good fruit. You see the worms would get to it first and ruin it. After the worms get into the fruit it’s no longer considered good fruit. This reinforces the need for us to draw on the help of the Holy Spirit to secure the quality of our fruit.

Something else that occurred to me was that these plants were all planted in the same garden about the same time, subject to the same sun, rain, and water I would spray on them. However some developed faster than others. Some had the signs of fruit and yet we haven’t been able to eat of it yet, still some that seemed slow at the beginning have yielded mature fruit that we have enjoyed already. In other words they matured at a different pace. We must refrain from judging those who are a little slower than us, whose fruit is not yet evident. Sometimes we can say things like “Wasn’t she there when Pastor taught on that subject? Or She’s been saved for three years and still need someone to help her?” We must realize that we are all different in the way we learn, understand and learn grow.

In recent years there have been several studies that show how children learn differently. Even for those of us who have children know that that they are different in the way they learn and so we don’t say to one “why can’t you be like your brother?” That’s like saying to the tomato plant, “Where is your bean?” We must allow the Holy Spirit to do His work and in due season we will see the fruit, matured. Jesus chose us to bear fruit in His kingdom and not only just fruit but also much fruit that will remain. Let us allow the Holy Spirit to help us. Whether we need to lean, climb or wrap ourselves around Him for support and protection in the various seasons of our life so that through our fruit the Father will be glorified. (John 15:8)