Producing Fruit

The sun was beginning to set as we drove home along the Great East Road. We have traveled this road during the rainy season many times before but I had never seen it, until now.  Several of the fields were flourishing with green maize had a lone sunflower blooming in the midst of the sea of emerald. The sight left me in awe and immediately the Lord began to speak to my heart. As we continued our journey, I kept my eyes peeled for the next sunflower peeking its happy face over the waves of maize.

As I soaked in the beauty of the fields of maize the Lord spoke to my heart. He used His creation to remind me of lessons that I have heard many times before. Yet this time, it was different. He reminded me of standing out among the crowd; the bold stands that were taken by such people as Stephen, Daniel, Paul, and many others; the difficulties of remaining strong when standing alone; and the ability to produce more than one fruit. The maize and the sunflower have many things in common…they need soil, water, and sunshine. The sunflower grows tall and strong and there is only one blossom per flower. The maize grows tall but after the first fruits are plucked from its stalk, it has the ability to produce another.

 

In the Christian life, we can either be like the maize or the sunflower. The sunflower is beautiful and stands so tall, but once that flower is removed its purpose is dissolved. There are times we can have seasons in which we are like the sunflower. Outwardly, we are beautiful, standing out from the crowd, but inwardly we are only able to produce one fruit. Trials and storms in life can come and knock us down and we struggle to get back up again and our fruit is unseen.

On the other hand, the maize is strong and with good soil, plentiful rain, and the perfect amount of sunshine it can grow and produce many fruits in a season. There are also times we can have seasons in which we are like the maize. Outwardly we are strong, tall, full of life, and our fruits are in abundance and evident to those around us. Trials and storms may come but over time and in the healing we are able to produce fruit again.

The fruits of the Spirit are a product of a consistent and daily walk with the Lord;  Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). None of these fruits are easy to do without the help of the Holy Spirit because none of these can be cultivated in our own strength. Yes, we can outwardly look loving, joyful, peaceful….like the sunflower, but when the storms come and take away those things, what remains? We must cling to the Lord “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. ..By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” John 15:4-6,8 As the body of Christ, we need to encourage one another to be fruitful and help those up that have fallen from the storms of life. As we walk through the storms of life, cling to the vine, which is Jesus Christ and let His rain fall upon us and allow us to grow in Him through the trials of life.