Fruit.

John 15:16

“You did not choose me,

but I chose you

and appointed you

that you should go and bear much fruit

and that your fruit should abide,

so that whatever you ask the Father in my name,

he may give it you.”

I have always loved this verse. I have loved that I was chosen, not because I am in any way smarter, or stronger or taller, but because I am loved. When I read this verse I wonder about what the word fruit symbolizes. When I was a little kid I always thought fruit or harvest referred to how many people you lead to Christ. The first time I had the analogy paired with Fruits of the Spirit I actually got a bit worried, I was young and I felt it would be much more difficult to grow in my character than lead someone to Christ. At the same time I felt a sort of relief, God wasn't up there counting tally marks to see if I was making my quota of saved souls, which was zero at the time.

Right now I think about that word abide again, I feel there was a time of incredible growth in my spiritual walk when I was younger, and there was a lot of spiritual fruit, love so deep, peace like no other, and joy in so many situations. As I look at my life recently and what goes on in my heart behind the scenes, the amount of fear and anxiety is just stupid. I don't how I lost my sensitivity, the urgent feeling of love for souls in need. Except that it was little by little. The good news is at least I can remember what it felt like, and I know I miss it.

That your fruit should abide, as I read that today it troubled me. I thought my fruit isn't abiding I'm not a true christian. It's still troubles me. However as I think of that I think about the fact that Jesus wants these things to abide in believers. And that is wonderful thing to think. God who made everything chose me, and through what His Son did bought me, and He wishes to grow in me and have me live in love. Love does no evil to another therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

He wants me to live in peace, without fear of tomorrow or yesterday, of man or beast, of life or death. He wants me to live in Joy. Not necessarily an absence of pain, but a sense of, I do not even know how to describe it. Hopefulness and fulfillment in His presence in the midst of any sorrowful circumstance perhaps?

He wants me to live patiently, patient with others and patiently expecting His return. I often feel myself drawn to patient people, people who are not easy to stress out, it is comforting knowing that it is difficult to make someone upset. God also wants to work that patience into me, and it only comes through confidence in Him.

He wants me to live in Kindness. There is the old saying “Kindness is a great gift and it's free.” Kindness does not have to be some great gesture, it is as simple as a hug, a prayer or a smile, it is ministering to someones heart through ministering to their needs. Whether those needs are physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual, it is kindness.

God wants me to live in goodness, what is goodness. I remember growing up the word good had very little meaning to me, food is good, water is good, playing is good, etc. When I understood the gospel and met Jesus as He met the needs of my heart I understood what goodness was. Jesus is goodness, God is goodness. Good took on a whole new depth, a depth that is beyond description for me, except to say God is good, and good is God. To live in Goodness is to reflect Jesus, and to reflect Him is to walk in knowing Him.

He wishes me to live in faithfulness, in remaining a person to be trustworthy. A person diligent to do as they have said they would. He would have me walk in gentleness, gentleness is more than simply being master of your own physical strength, it is more than being careful in how you hug others. To be gentle is to be gentle in attitude, speech, and action. To address one another in a respectful way during disagreements, to speak well of others, to be slow to anger or act in anger physically.

Lastly He wishes me to live with self control. How awful it is to feel out of control, how often in those times our circumstance being beyond my control, I let my emotions take over. What an awful thing to be a slave to my own desire.

As I think of this word abide, and to have something abide in you, I think of my mind and heart like a house. If someone comes to live in my house I must allow them to abide, and must abide myself in the home in order for us to be together. That troubling thought at the beginning of this IBS of not being a true christian I think is simply that, a fear. I have felt and lived out these fruits a lot in my life, by no strength of my own. In fact that seems to be the only way to abide.

“That whatever you ask the Father in my name He may give it you.”

If I have lost my peace, or my joy, or my love, etc it's because I am not abiding in God's love as I aught, but am instead striving for independence from Him. Maybe it started with the best intentions, I don't want to bother God for help, I'll just do it myself. However in Reality, He is my loving Father and savior and He desires me to come to Him with my needs. What bothers Him is me trying to do things my own way.

This month's theme of God seeking us, but it's more than that, He is also seeking our Good. As I allow these things to abide in me not only am I blessed but also those around me. God not only chose me but appointed me, to grow in these fruits, that they abide in me and that only happens as I am choosing to abide in Christ. That all starts at 5:30 in the morning when the alarm goes off, it starts with the decision to sit up and get dressed instead of hitting snooze. It's starts with remembering that God chose me not the other way around.

Application.

Spend time abiding in Christ.

How?

Keep to waking up at 5:30 as a habit this coming week, except on my day off, when I will get up by 7:00am.