What Kind of Fruit Do You Produce?

Have you ever seen a Fruit Tree Shaker? You may have seen a YouTube video of a machine with an arm that grabs the tree’s trunk. Then the machine spreads a net under and around the tree. As the machine grabs the tree trunk, it shakes the tree, and the fruit falls into the netting for harvesting. Brilliant idea to save hundreds of hours from picking the fruit by hand. Here is a link to a short video of a Fruit Tree Shaker: https://youtu.be/RKIQ5PqPLb4

How would you like it if something grabbed you and started shaking you? You probably would not like it. But you know, this happens to us regularly. Hopefully, you never experience someone physically grabbing you and begin to shake you physically, but there are things in life that periodically shake us emotionally to the core of our being.

It could be that someone says something that insults you or your family. It could be something that happens at work. It could be you were cheated out of a promotion, or someone took advantage of you financially. Maybe a family member was short with you with an answer or comment, which rubbed you wrong.

Maybe you have been diagnosed with a debilitating disease or a family member. It could have been a car accident where someone ran a stop sign or a traffic light, damaging that new car. I was a witness to something like this years ago. Or how about when someone cuts you off in traffic or breaks in line when you have been waiting for a while?

The point is that many things can happen in our lives that can grab us and shake us emotionally to the core. Think about the last time something did this to you. It doesn’t have to be a big thing. It could have been something small like forgetting to pick up your child at Day Care… Okay, maybe that is not a small thing. But I think you get my drift. Let’s try stumping your toe in the middle of the night while trying to walk through your house without turning on a lamp. Oh… that can hurt!

All of these things are like that Tree Shaker that grabs you by the truck and just shakes you—stirring up emotions. Emotions that will bring out the true you. It could be a particular word you didn’t know was there are maybe an action you find yourself doing automatically. In both cases, you may or may not regret what you said or did.

When this happens, what kind of fruit will fall from your tree – from you? You do know that you grow fruit in your life, don’t you? The Bible tells us in Matthew 15:18 that “what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart.” The fruit you harbor in your heart will fall out when you have been shaken. You may not think it is there, but then there it is – surprise!

The Bible tells us in Galatians 5:22-23 that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” Then in verse 25, the Bible says, “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.”

If you are a Believer claiming to be living by the Spirit, these fruits, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control should be growing in your life.

This is what I hope is falling from you when life events shake you; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. People will respond differently when these fall from you either by your words or physical action. So often, it will calm the situation. It will make you feel better knowing the Holy Spirit guides your thoughts and behavior.

In the next post, we will break these down and see what the Bible says about each of these attributes.

To the challenge and adventure to disciple men – Mike