Maturity in Christ Part 3

A very nice link

Luke 13:6-9 And he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none.  And he said to the vinedresser, 'Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?'   And he answered him, 'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure.  Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.'"(ESV)

Is there a lesson in that parable for you? There was for me, many actually. Others looking onto my life may have been disappointed, for years, in seeing what was lacking in my life. And I may be looking for the right kind of fruit in others, and see none;  yet the Lord shows us what He can do aside from what that person is doing or not doing (because this isn't just talking about trees), and it could take many years.

 Something that I realized lately...
...is that immature trees do not bear any fruit. A young sapling apple tree won't grow any fruit until it reaches maturity. It has to grow up and be strong enough to put that life force through to it's fruit. A very young child cannot make and have a baby. I met a woman who had a child at the age of ten (a sad story with a very happy outcome), but she was the youngest age that I've personally heard of having a child. The body isn't made for it at that age. Likewise, the Lord grows us into maturity before we can bear His fruit that comes from His Spirit flowing through us.

 We can put on an act of goodness and kindness, and we can fool lots of people...we might even fool ourselves! But the goodness that is from God doesn't look for self-promotion. It is humble, and often goes unnoticed. It does good for goodness sake, to help others, not for awards and ceremonies, and money, etc... although those might still come, that isn't the purpose or motivation (or shouldn't be) for those moved by the Spirit of God. 

So if you know of someone who "lacks fruit", perhaps the Lord will dig around that person's life and put some manure (poo-poo isn't always what we want to happen, but God uses it to grow us!!!) into their situation to bring about His greater good for that person. Give Him time!

Gal 5:22-26 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,   gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.   And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.   Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. (ESV)