I love fruit. If I have to choose between eating fruit and eating vegetables, I always go for the fruit. Why? Because it tastes better, of course! Compare the taste of a fresh Kiwi to that of a fresh brussel sprout. There’s no comparison! Good fruit leaves a great taste in your mouth and leaves you wanting more. 

 But how do you get good fruit? Simple. You have to have a healthy tree. And how do you have a healthy tree? The tree needs to be planted in good soil, well-watered, fertilized, and pruned each year. 

 A tree in good soil that is well-watered, well-fertilized, and well-pruned will produce the most incredible fruit. 

 In a lot of ways, we are like fruit trees or vines. In fact, Jesus directly compares his followers to them in John 15 where he says, “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches... I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit.” (v. 15, 16)

 To produce the kind of “good fruit” that leaves a great taste in the mouth of everyone we encounter, we must have a healthy spiritual life. This means being planted in good soil, rooted in faith and nothing else. It means being well-watered through the wise counsel and teaching of those spiritually more mature than us. It requires being regularly fertilized and fed through daily time with God through Scripture reading, praying, journaling, and stillness. And, although perhaps a frightening thought, it means allowing God to prune away the parts of our lives that are no longer serving him. Or as Jesus says in John 15:2, “He cuts off every branch of. Mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.“

 When we, as believers, plant ourselves in good soil and are well-watered, well-fertilized, and well-pruned, our roots will be strong, and the fruit that we produce will be fantastic! A great fruit tree will not produce great fruit until its roots are strong and it’s had time to mature. 

 So, if you find yourself in a season that feels barren or if God is pruning something away in your life - be patient; the good fruit is coming. 

 For more encouragement on cultivating a healthy, fruitful, and integrated life, I encourage you to check out this podcast interview with Heidi Lewerenz on sheWorks4Him. 

- Jim