"What Kind Of Fruit Are You Bearing?"

I found myself standing in my yard, looking at my fruit trees, thinking about what it would take for them to produce well this season. Not just grow but produce good fruit.

So I went out and bought fertilizer, plant food, everything they would need to thrive. But what stood out to me was this, each tree required something different. The lemon tree needed more nitrogen to strengthen its growth.
The blueberries required more acidic soil to even survive. The cherries, peaches, apples, plums, and persimmons each one needed something specific, something intentional, to produce a good harvest. I couldn’t treat them all the same and expect the same result. Right there something deeper settled in my spirit.

Have you ever stopped long enough to ask yourself a simple but searching question. What fruits do I bear? Not what you say. Not what you intend. But what is actually growing from your life? Because fruit is never forced, it is revealed.

You don’t have to announce an apple tree. In time it shows. In the same way, the condition of our hearts eventually makes itself visible in our words, our responses, and how we treat others. So the question becomes: What is showing up from me lately?

Just like those trees we are always producing something. Not based on what we say we are. But based on what we are consistently fed. If I’m feeding my mind stress, worry, constant noise....I shouldn’t be surprised when peace is hard to find. If I’m holding onto frustration, offense, impatience, I can’t expect gentleness to grow naturally. Fruit doesn’t just appear, it develops from what is nurtured over time.

God knows exactly what each of us needs to produce good fruit. Some seasons require pruning. Some require strengthening. Some require adjusting the soil of our hearts, removing what is too heavy, too toxic, too distracting. Because what works in one season, may not be what God is using to grow you in the next.

Fruit is not produced by chance, it is cultivated with intention. Spiritual fruit is not produced by effort alone. It is produced by connection and care. So the question is no longer just,What fruit am I bearing? But am I feeding my spirit what it actually needs to grow?

The grace in it all is God is not expecting perfection. He is inviting participation. He tends. He prunes. He nourishes. But we must be willing to examine what we are allowing into our lives. Because whatever you keep feeding…will eventually grow.

Pearl’s Prayer:

Lord, help me to be mindful of what I am feeding my spirit. Give me the wisdom to recognize what needs to be removed and what needs to be nurtured.
Cultivate in me the fruit that reflects Your love, peace, patience, and faith. Tend to the soil of my heart, and help me stay connected to You. So that what grows from my life, brings glory to You.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.