You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you
John 15:16 NIV
Half Moon Bay, California, is the pumpkin patch capital of the United States. Each year, it hosts the annual World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-off. This year, a pumpkin weighing two thousand seven hundred and forty-nine pounds set a new world record––that’s the equivalent of at least six hundred and eighty-seven pies. Or the size of a walrus!
Travis Gienger of Anoka, Minnesota, was the proud grower of that gourd-geous giant! In an interview, he said, “I gave my seeds extra care this year, adding extra fertilizer and watering them a dozen times a day.”
Sometimes, I hope that the fruit I bear will be as big as Travis’ pumpkin and that others will see and celebrate what I’ve grown. Yet, nothing in the verse above is about the size of our fruit or others praising it. Jesus is only interested in fruit that will last. And, despite this new world record, Travis’ pumpkin will not last. If it’s not converted to pies, it will rot within days.
We’re not the Farmer
Bearing fruit doesn’t mean we’re the farmer or the grower. We are the branch on which the fruit grows. Each of us is attached to the vine––Jesus, nourished by the Holy Spirit, and rooted in our Father who tends us.
John wrote in the gospel:
… No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:4-6
Jesus longs that our lives, which He sustains, will produce fruit. This fruit will nourish those we encounter as we live out our lives. As we spend time with Jesus, we grow love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control Galatians 5:22-23 NIV.
These are the fruits that last forever. When we give love to our children, we’re setting the example for them to love others. When we have our Father’s joy, we possess the strength to help encourage those who are navigating challenging times. Growing the fruit of our Lord’s peace provides calmness as we face the day. When we show forbearance, it helps us to control our emotions when someone upsets us, and it also trusts that God can deal with the problem at hand.
When we bless others with kindness, we’re showing them that they, just like we, matter to God. When we bear goodness, we act in a way that benefits others. When we grow faithfulness, we choose God’s way, not our own. When we’re gentle, we create an environment of safety and trust for those in our lives. And, when we pick the fruit of self-control, it produces healthy boundaries and resists the temptations of the world. Our fruit, then, are the outward actions that reflect what’s going on in our hearts.
How do we develop these fruits?
By choosing to spend time in God’s presence, whether reading our bible, following a devotional, going for a walk and enjoying the beauty of creation, or speaking to Jesus while you clean your home, commute to work, or make dinner, etc.
If we ask God to grow His fruits in us, He will because He longs to sustain us. Jesus is the vine, and we are His branches attached to Him.
Sometimes, though, I wonder if I’m bearing the fruit He wanted. Amid laundry, housework, work, childraising, and just, well … everything that seems to fill up my days, I struggle to keep myself nourished by Him. I can’t help but think of Travis’ award-winning pumpkin: it grew because the grower tended it so well. We will develop if we spend time with the Father. We may not become the largest fruit on the vine, but we will become well-fed, nourished, and full of the spirit of God.
And, when we do, His spiritual fruit will grow in us, and it’s this fruit that Jesus wants us to bear.
A Love Letter From God …
Dear lovely one,
My son, Jesus Christ, is the vine, and I chose you to be a branch that’s attached to Him. Together, we nurture, nourish, and tend you. We gently protect the shoots that sprout from you: your children, family, friends, work, finances, etc. You will bear my fruit in many areas of your life, and it will minister and feed those around you. As you bloom, you reflect my beauty to everyone you meet. Come and sit with me for a while, and my presence will refresh your heart, mind, and soul.
I see you, my beloved; I love you.
And, I am with you always.
Love, God