Luke 6:43-45

Luke 6:43-45 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

Are you a good tree or bad tree, a fruitful person or one without fruit? In scripture, Jesus explains what kind of fruit a good tree, a follower of Christ, produces. A believer loves his enemies. He does good to those who hate him. He blesses those who curse him. He does strike back at those who harm him. He gives to those who ask of him. He does to others as he would have them do to him. A Christian will avoid being judgmental, critical, and negative. A Christian will think the best of people rather than the worst, dealing with his own shortcomings and sins rather than other people's weaknesses. A Christian produces fruit for the nourishment of others; consequently, others will like to be around such a person, for he or she has a lot of offer them.

What have you STORED UP IN YOU LIFE? Have you stored up negativity, criticism, darkness in your heart? If so, that is what you will portray. You will talk about people's faults. You will view people and the world negatively. The glass will always be half empty; there will always be something to attack. Your life will spew out criticism and condemnation rather than love. Without a close walk with the Lord and the fruit of the Spirit in your life, you have a difficult time seeing people as God sees them.

We must watch out what we store in our hearts. If right now you feel you need to correct someone or put somebody in his or her place, you should watch out, for that is a destructive spirit, not constructive. If you want to blast someone for hurting you, you should be careful, for that is not an attitude of loving your enemies. If you feel someone has let you down big time and you are angry and resentful, you need to be careful how you deal with that person, for you can cause real harm if you fail to pray for those who despitefully use you. Your job as a Christian is to restore people, to bring them to God's love, not to kill their spirits or to destroy their personhood. What kind of fruit are we bringing forth out of our lives? What kind of energy have we stored inside of us? Is it good, positive or is it bad, negative--even destructive?

The Lord has saved us sinners to bring good fruit to humanity, to reveal the likeness of God. When we hurt or destroy, we reveal darkness, the works or our enemy, the devil. When we forgive, help, and love, we reveal our Father God. Pray that you might bring forth good fruit, the Spirit's fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. (Galatians 5:22) Pray that your spirit is aligned with God's spirit. Pray and you will love people as He loves them. Pray and you will strengthen people as He does. Pray and you will save people from destruction by his saving grace. As servants of God, good trees, that is your reasonable service. Love, Dad (Cliff)