Is Your Fruit Sweet or Sour?

“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.” (Matthew 12:33)

Isn't it wonderful to bite into a fresh, delicious, juicy, ripe, red apple!

And it's equally awful to bite into a sour, bitter lemon.

Each kind of fruit tree is known for the distinctive fruit that it produces. Some sweet. Some very sour.

And that's how people are. 

Jesus was referring to the fruit, or 'produce' of a person's life in Matthew 12:33. Good fruit is produced out of the heart and life of a good man. Bad fruit comes from a bad heart.

“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.” (Matthew 12:35)

Just as a tree is known by the fruit it produces, so too is a man known by the fruit that is produced from his heart and life.

Consider your own life.

It could be concerning your marriage, your job, your finances, where you live, or what decisions you've recently made. What has the fruit been like in each of those areas in your life? Has it been sweet? Or sour?

Let's start with marriage. Does the way that you treat your spouse bear the sweet fruit of love, joy, peace, harmony, intimacy, long-suffering, patience, self control, goodness, and unconditional kindness?  

Or is the fruit of your relationship sour, bitter and rotten; manifesting itself as outbursts of wrath, contentions, jealousy, selfishness, abuse, and unfaithfulness?

A tree is known by its fruit.

What about an important decision you've made in the recent past? Maybe it's the job you've chosen. Maybe it's the new city you moved to? Perhaps it's a new relationship you've entered into? Is the fruit of that important decision sweet? Has it brought you rest, joy, union, and contentment? Is it a blessing in your life and to those closest to you? 

Or is it sour, and has brought you nothing but strife, stress, division, angst, complaining, and frustration?

The soundness or wisdom of an important decision we've made, or a path we've taken, is clearly revealed in the fruit it has produced in our lives.

The Apostle Paul writes of the Fruit of the Spirit - vs. - the Works of the flesh. Look at the stark contrast between the two:

“Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” (Galatians 5:19-26)

When you examine the fruit of your life, and the important decisions you've made, ask yourself if the spiritual quality of your life is a sweet blessing; full of love, joy, peace, purpose, contentment, unity, serving others, and drawing near to God?

Or is it wrought with the sour, bitter fruit of being malcontent, dissatisfied, complaining, murmuring, angry, selfish, self-focused and disconnected from God and the people He has placed in your life and sphere of influence?

A tree is known by its fruit.

If the tree of your life is bearing bad fruit; sour, bitter and unpalatable, make the tree good by drawing near to Jesus, and then abide in Him to where being in His presence will begin to cause you to flourish in God's love, joy, purpose and grace, and will bear sweet fruit that will bless others. 

And in so doing, you will be blessed beyond your greatest expectations.

Draw near to Jesus today and abide in Him.

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” (John 15:5-8)

—God is Love and Love Never Fails!