Good Trees, Good Fruit

Good Trees, Good Fruit

An old orchardist in Washington State was asked the secret to his exceptional apple harvest. He paused for a long time. 'The fruit is the last thing,' he finally said. 'First you prepare the soil for twenty years. Then you plant the right variety. Then you prune for ten years before you get a proper harvest. Most people want the fruit without the tree.' He went on: 'I've seen people try to tie fruit to dead branches. Looks convincing from a distance. Gets moldy quickly up close.' He had no idea he was articulating a theological principle. Character formation takes time. The fruit that looks real but is tied to a dead branch doesn't last.

Jesus' teaching on trees and fruit in Matthew 7 comes in the context of false prophets — but the principle extends broadly. What we produce in life flows from what we actually are, not from what we present. You cannot consistently generate patience from an impatient heart, or peace from an anxious one, or generosity from a closed fist — not permanently. The Christian life is not about behavior modification; it's about heart transformation. When the heart changes, the fruit follows naturally. Conversely, when we try to produce better fruit by willpower alone, without attending to the root — the ongoing fellowship with God, the regular receiving of grace, the slow work of sanctification — the fruit is often unsustainable. Ask God today not to make your fruit better, but to make your tree healthier.