Good Morning Sunshine! You Can’t Fake Your Fruit! You Are Who You Are!

Matthew 7:16-17 ~ “You will know them by their fruits. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.”

No matter how much a tree tries to hide its identity, its fruit will always reveal the truth. An apple tree can’t produce oranges, and a thornbush will never bear sweet grapes. In the same way, your life speak louder than your words. You may claim to follow Christ, but the real evidence is found in the fruit you produce. Jesus warned that people would be known by their fruit. What you consistently display, your attitudes, your words, your actions, they tell the world who you truly are. Are you producing love, joy, and peace? Or do our lives reflect bitterness, anger, and selfishness? The proof of your faith is not in what you say but in how you live.

“A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” Luke 6:45. Your daily choices determine the kind of fruit you bear. When you walk in step with the Holy Spirit, He cultivates love, patience, and kindness within you. But when you live in the flesh, the results are obvious, pride, envy, and strife show up and out. “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”  Galatians 5:16.

There was once a garden filled with many trees. Each one stood tall, its branches stretching toward the sky. From a distance, they all looked the same; strong, full of leaves, and deeply rooted. But as the season changed and harvest time arrived, the truth was revealed. Some trees bore sweet, juicy fruit, nourishing all who came near. Others, though outwardly impressive, produced nothing but shriveled, bitter fruit; unfit for anyone to enjoy. Despite appearances, the evidence was undeniable. A tree could not hide what it truly was. A healthy tree produced good fruit, and a sick tree revealed its weakness through its barren branches. The farmer who owned the garden walked through, inspecting each one. He did not judge them by how tall they stood or how many leaves they had, but by the fruit they produced.

In the same way, your life cannot hide what is truly within you. No matter how much you try to appear righteous, your actions, your words, and your attitude will reveal the truth about who you are. “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.” – Matthew 7:18. The proof of who you are is not in what you claim, but in what you consistently produce. So, with that being said, what kind of fruit is hanging from your tree? Is it love, patience, and kindness? Or does it reveal pride, anger, and selfishness?

No tree can hide its fruit forever, sooner or later, the truth comes out. “Each tree is recognized by its own fruit.” Luke 6:44! Jesus reminds us in John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me, you can do nothing.” A healthy tree stays connected to its source. Likewise, if you want to bear good fruit, you must remain in Christ. You cannot produce godly character on your own, it comes from abiding in Him, spending time in His Word, and allowing His Spirit to transform you.

But what happens when you see bad fruit in your life? Do you ignore it, make excuses, or assume it doesn’t matter? Jesus makes it clear that fruit is not optional, it is the evidence of true discipleship. “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” John 15:8! The Presence of godly fruit in your life brings Glory to God and serves as proof that you are His.

The apostle Paul contrasts the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:19-23: “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

You cannot fake good fruit for long. Eventually, the truth of what is in your heart will be revealed. If you find yourself producing bitterness instead of love, anxiety instead of peace, or impatience instead of kindness, it’s time for you to examine your spiritual roots to see if you are you deeply planted in Christ, or are you allowing the world to influence and shape you?

If someone examined your life, what kind of tree would they see? Would your fruit reveal a heart fully surrendered to God, or would it expose a life rooted in self-interest? True transformation happens from the inside out, and a healthy tree cannot help but produce good fruit. “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.” Psalm 1:1-3!

Let’s Pray:

Father, I desire to bear good fruit that glorifies You. Search my heart and remove anything that hinders me from living a life that reflects Your Spirit. Help me to walk in obedience, to be patient in growth, and to trust that as I stay connected to You, my life will naturally produce love, joy, peace, and righteousness. May my words, my actions, and my thoughts all be pleasing to You. Father, I ask for Your Holy Spirit to shape my character and prune anything in my life that does not align with Your will. If there are areas where I am producing bad fruit, whether it be selfishness, anger, or impatience, reveal them to me and help me to change. I don’t want to just appear godly on the outside; I want my heart to truly reflect You. Father, strengthen me to walk in step with Your Spirit every day. May I remain rooted in Your Word, seeking Your wisdom and truth above all else. I pray that my life will be a testimony of Your grace and love, bearing fruit that lasts for eternity. Let those who see me know without a doubt that I am Yours because of the fruit I bear. Thank You for the privilege of being connected to You, my true Vine. In Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

Blessings…

Love, Minister Jean