What do you see when you look at your tree?
There are a few things I wake up and strive to accomplish everyday. They are my non-negotioables; if you will. Everyday I purpose in my heart to read my daily devotional, my Bible, eat at least one meal at our kitchen table, complete my workout for the day, and keep all my fruit on my tree.
Now obviously there are other things I do...like eat. Lord knows I don't miss a meal. Or bathe. Or play with my kids..spend time with my husband...but those things come natural. I don't have to remind myself to brush my teeth, but my non-negotioable list are things I have to make known to be a priority or they can be taken away.
The thing I had on my heart to tell yall about that's a big deal to me is my tree. I bet alot of y'all didn't realize you have a tree too. I' not talking about the ones that Irma almost snapped..or did...thanks Irma. I'm actually talking about you. Yeah YOU! YOU are a tree. Let me explain.
Matthew 7:20 says this, "Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions."
Some people are looking at your tree and trying to identify you. With that being said...what is on your tree. Take a minute and really examine your tree...yourself...your life...your daily actions...the words you say....the comments you make....now visualize all that hanging from your branches. And if someone walked up to your tree and saw all of those things what kind of tree would they label it?
Would they say Oh this tree...this tree looks confused....it's not really consistent with what it bears. I don't think this tree knows what it wants to be... Or would they say this tree is bearing some good fruit. It's like the fruit Jesus spoke of. This tree must be a follower of Jesus..a child of God!
So remember how I said my non-negotioable is to keep all my fruit on my tree. I wake up and renew my mind everyday. I sit at the feet of Jesus and He restores me. He fills me up so I can be poured out. He shines my fruit up so I can offer the world something. Some shiny fruit most of them rarely see. All my fruits have a name. These fruits are evidence of the Holy Spirit in my life.
Galatians 5:22-23 tells us "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control: against such there is no law."
So as a believer in Jesus, the Bible tells me I have the Spirit working inside of me. And IF I truly do the Bible says you will see some evidence of that Spirit. And the evidence it leaves behind is LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, AND SELF-CONTROL.
If you can't say/remember the fruits then how can you be sure they're on your tree? If you don't know what you're looking for, chances are you won't find it.
Make this a non-negotioable in your daily life. Wake up with all 9 of your fruit intact. I tell people all the time my first fruit to drop off is patience. Somehow it's always the first to go. My 3 and 5 year old have nothing to do with that. Neither does my husband! Y'all leave them alone!
It's going to take some effort. You're going to have to hold your tongue. You might even be compelled to go out of your way for someone. Your fruit can't hang on your tree without some action to back it up. Wake up with all your fruit there and do your best to keep them there by displaying them...not just on your tree, but in your life. So that when someone walks away, even if you never opened your mouth to tell them about Jesus, your tree did all the talking!
Now obviously there are other things I do...like eat. Lord knows I don't miss a meal. Or bathe. Or play with my kids..spend time with my husband...but those things come natural. I don't have to remind myself to brush my teeth, but my non-negotioable list are things I have to make known to be a priority or they can be taken away.
The thing I had on my heart to tell yall about that's a big deal to me is my tree. I bet alot of y'all didn't realize you have a tree too. I' not talking about the ones that Irma almost snapped..or did...thanks Irma. I'm actually talking about you. Yeah YOU! YOU are a tree. Let me explain.
Matthew 7:20 says this, "Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions."
Some people are looking at your tree and trying to identify you. With that being said...what is on your tree. Take a minute and really examine your tree...yourself...your life...your daily actions...the words you say....the comments you make....now visualize all that hanging from your branches. And if someone walked up to your tree and saw all of those things what kind of tree would they label it?
Would they say Oh this tree...this tree looks confused....it's not really consistent with what it bears. I don't think this tree knows what it wants to be... Or would they say this tree is bearing some good fruit. It's like the fruit Jesus spoke of. This tree must be a follower of Jesus..a child of God!
So remember how I said my non-negotioable is to keep all my fruit on my tree. I wake up and renew my mind everyday. I sit at the feet of Jesus and He restores me. He fills me up so I can be poured out. He shines my fruit up so I can offer the world something. Some shiny fruit most of them rarely see. All my fruits have a name. These fruits are evidence of the Holy Spirit in my life.
Galatians 5:22-23 tells us "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control: against such there is no law."
So as a believer in Jesus, the Bible tells me I have the Spirit working inside of me. And IF I truly do the Bible says you will see some evidence of that Spirit. And the evidence it leaves behind is LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, AND SELF-CONTROL.
If you can't say/remember the fruits then how can you be sure they're on your tree? If you don't know what you're looking for, chances are you won't find it.
Make this a non-negotioable in your daily life. Wake up with all 9 of your fruit intact. I tell people all the time my first fruit to drop off is patience. Somehow it's always the first to go. My 3 and 5 year old have nothing to do with that. Neither does my husband! Y'all leave them alone!
It's going to take some effort. You're going to have to hold your tongue. You might even be compelled to go out of your way for someone. Your fruit can't hang on your tree without some action to back it up. Wake up with all your fruit there and do your best to keep them there by displaying them...not just on your tree, but in your life. So that when someone walks away, even if you never opened your mouth to tell them about Jesus, your tree did all the talking!
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