Practicing Fruitfulness: The Messy Work of Spiritual Growth
Fruit trees don’t have to stress out to produce fruit, they simply do what comes naturally. They draw nutrients from the soil, soak up sunshine, and drink in water. When a tree is healthy, the fruit pops off naturally.
If only growing spiritual fruit was that simple, but most days feel like when I once again try to grow that avocado pit on my windowsill. A whole lotta effort. Not a lot o’cado.
Fruit tells the truth about a tree. Plant an apple seed, and you expect apples. If nothing grows, then something’s off.
Peter uses a similar idea in his second letter. (2 Peter 1:5-8) He writes about the fruitfulness God wants from us, but he also seems to understand that we will require a lot of farming. He wants us to be fruitful and effective, and he lists qualities like love and virtue, self-control and perseverance; you know, the easy ones. But he knows it will not be simple. There will definitely be weeds and challenges along the way.
Pastor Jay pointed out three stages of a Christian’s maturity last week. That last stage was much tougher than I wanted. I was hoping he would say that at our most mature we will be like a giant, beautiful tree full of fruit for everyone to enjoy. But instead, he explained that true maturity comes when we realize we live in a cycle: being planted, growth, fruitfulness, dying, and rebirth - over and over again.
Fruitfulness is how God’s work shows up in our life. Through our actions, attitudes, and words, we display good fruit, and even, sometimes, bad fruit. It’s the outward display of what’s happening deep within us.
But it can take a while for a tree to mature enough to produce the really tasty fruit. It’s roots have to run deep, its nutrition has to be well-balanced. But if it keeps growing and producing, that fruit will become amazing! Honestly, the best way to bear good fruit is to just keep practicing.
It’s a bit like Po in the movie Kung Fu Panda: (a character I think most of us can really relate to). Po didn’t master kung fu by standing around looking heroic. He fell, tripped, got confused, ran away, came back, dealt with folks saying he’d never make it, and ate a lot of dumplings before he finally got it.
Growing fruit is messy, slow, and sometimes hilarious, but if we just keeping trying, it really is a sign of maturing. When we feel spiritually stuck, that’s our cue to keep practicing, let the Spirit do the real work, and maybe laugh at ourselves along the way.
Reflection Questions:
• When you feel spiritually “stuck” or unfruitful, how do you usually respond? How might you approach it differently knowing fruitfulness is a cycle, not a one-time event?
• Think about a time in your life when growth felt messy, slow, or even funny, like Po in Kung Fu Panda. What did that season teach you about God’s work in you?
• In what areas of your life could you intentionally “tend the soil” so that the Spirit can produce good fruit through your actions, attitudes, and words?
Watch last week's sermon here
