Roots And Fruits

Last week I had the pleasure of having a friend over before she left for an extended mission trip. It was a joy to spend time with her and catch up on life. During our conversation the topic of marriage came up, preparing for marriage, being single and all of that. One thing that came up from our discussion was the importance of living in each season that the Lord brings to you. Seasons imply that there is a beginning and an end, growth and change. It reminds me of Psalm 1 where it mentions, “A tree planted by streams of water that bears it’s fruit in season”. This is exactly what life is like. Life is a series of seasons; beginnings, ends, change, growth. Regardless of the season, when you are planted in Christ; rooted firmly in His Word, fed by His Truth there will be fruit in due time.

The best wisdom I have for life wether single, married, student, grandparent; is to be rooted in Christ. The blessing of God’s Word is that it will not return void and it will bear fruit in due season. Madeline at only 14 months old will often reflect a heart of anger or rebellion. Calling the behavior what it is will serve her for the rest of her life. Calling it naughty, childish or cute is not only unbiblical but is not teaching her the foundation of Godly living. Teaching her how to respond to her heart will prayerfully humble her before the mighty Hand of God.

In our conversation it came up that many girls think that to prepare for marriage they need to learn to clean, decorate a home, learn to cook, rise early, keep a budget etc. Or when preparing for a job they need to learn to be organized, punctual, professional, and mind a calendar. In reality, if you have been cultivating a heart of selflessness, kindness, humility, or prudence, then when you enter the season of marriage, you will be prepared to produce the fruit of the qualities of a Godly wife. And if you never are married, you will be well prepared to be a Godly woman in general. Focusing on the root will produce appropriate fruit.

The best preparation for marriage or life I can give anyone is to call sin what it is. It is humbling, but it is the only way to sit at the throne of Grace and truly worship our Lord.

James 4:10 “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”

1 Peter 5:6-7 “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

If you are single do yourself a favor and work on the root of your heart issues. Call sin what it is and pray that the Lord will change your heart. Calling your sin by its name will serve you no matter what season you are in, focus on the ROOT. The root of our heart, when tended properly by the kindness of God, will produce appropriate fruit in each season. Learning self-control might help you in one way when single, but help you in a completely different way when you are working, or a student, or married, or a mom. Focusing on the fruit is temporary, focusing on the root is eternal. We also should not forget what fruit we are hoping to produce and see cultivated in our life. The Fruit of The Spirit should be evident in the life of every believer, it is given by the Holy Spirit alone, and is a result of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 4:18 “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”