What is God looking for? Part 3

There is an account in scripture of Jesus being hungry and looking to satisfy his hunger with some fruit. His expectation was to go up to a fig tree and relieve his cravings. Even though it wasn't the season to collect fruit from that type of plant. (Mark 11:12-13)
On face value you could be forgiven for thinking this is a little unfair of Jesus, to expect fruit out of season. But dig a little deeper and his example, his life based analogy, well it speaks a lot about us and our spiritual health. About ultimately what He is looking for...

When I looked into this today I learnt something interesting.
Fig trees can actually start producing fruit even without a healthy plume of leaves. Their DNA just wants to produce fruit. Fruit comes before foliage, before aesthetics, every single time.

Now tie this concept into yours and my life...
Image is nothing - fruit is everything!
What counts for each of us is the fruit of our lives. How good a 'christian' you look like on the outside isn't as important as the fruit your life actually produces.

We are 'all season' fruit producers!
We can actually produce fruit in season and out of season. Our DNA if you like is designed to produce fruit. Because we are not just natural but are spiritual, in Christ I believe we can regularly produce a harvest of fruit, not restricted by our feelings and foliage.

God is looking for fruit from our lives...
Fruit indicates how truly healthy something or someone is.
Fruit also shows what something truly is, because it is produced from its core.

Around our old home in Auckland when we first purchased it were a number of trees.
Not being the best at plants, horticultural exploits or gardening for that matter, we weren't really sure what they were.
When their fruit appeared finally appeared, that is when we truly knew. The mandarins, lemons and red plums told what the trees were. And their quality of fruit told us how healthy they each were.

It was at that time we decided which we would keep and which we would help with fertiliser, watering, pruning and whatever else was needed to produce more and better fruit.

Jesus talked another day about this concept. Sharing a short story about a man going to visit his fig tree in his vineyard. For 3 years he was waiting patiently for it to fruit (typically fig trees produce by then). Because it wasn't fruiting yet a decision was made. Dig it and dung it. Give it some more help and see if it will produce something good. (Luke 13:6-9)

I am reminded that if I am not producing cool fruit from my life, maybe I need to look at a number of factors...
What am I feeding on?
Am I feeding on it enough?
Do I need some specialist help from another spiritual gardener?

As you think about this possibly today, can I encourage you to focus on the fact that you can be a fantastic fruit producer? Your life can make a difference to many lives!
Take stock. Do what needs to be done.
God is looking for your fruit...

Something to think about...