In the natural world fruit is the result of a health plant producing what it was designed to produce. In the Bible, the word fruit is often described as a person’s outward actions that result from a condition of the heart.
There are fruit related metaphor found in the Bible. But you might wonder what does the actual mean to bear fruit? the Bible revealed many ways to bear fruit, here are four that stand out to me:
- The Fruit of the Spirit
In Galatians 5:22-23, the apostle Paul tells us that “the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.”
These kind of fruit are very real and very valuable comma they are not this sort of things become necessarily see with our eyes. However, their existence can be revealed through our thoughts, actions and demeanors.
For example, the fruit of joy is displayed when we find happiness in the little things, such as smelling flowers, cuddles from a furry pet, or the vibrant rays of a sunset, even when we’re going through difficult circumstances. And the fruit of peace is a good when we are able to lay aside our worries and rest in God‘s promise that he is working off things for our good (Romans 8:28).
Most of us have moments when we are definitely not peaceful, joyful, loving, etc… and these moments make us feel painfully deficient in the fruit of the spirit. But looking back on where we are now from where we were several years ago, helps us get an accurate perspective on the growth of the fruit of the spirit in our lives.
2. The Fruit of Prayer
On the night before, Jesus was crucified, He said,
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, so you will be My disciples” John 15:7-8
Here, Jesus, links asking, and receiving with bearing fruit, and in doing so, He reveals that answered prayer is a form of fruit.
The Bible gives us many examples of this kind of fruit:
In Genesis 25:21 Isaac prayed for his wife, Rebecca, who was infertile, and she went on to give birth to twins.
In Exodus 15:22-27 Moses prayed for water when he was leading the Israelites through the desert, and God provided fresh drinking water.
In Acts 12:3-16 the early church, prayed for Peter to be released from prison, and he was miraculously set free.
Our persistence is an important ingredient for bearing fruit for answered prayer. In Matthew 7:7 Jesus said,
“Ask, and it will given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened for you.”
As you seek to be fruitful in your prayer life, whether you are praying for guidance, healing, or provision, don’t give up. Keep praying, believing, and abiding in Jesus and trust that He will answer in His perfect time.
3. The Fruit of Good Deeds
In Paul’s letter to the Colossians told them,
“Don’t cease praying and making requests for you, that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.”
God has given each of us good work to do, and when we are faithful to explore the work God given us, and when we willingly carry out such work to the best of our abilities, it results in fruitfulness.
It’s important to know that we are not saved by doing good works or deeds but are saved by God’s grace. And good works will look different for each of us. We all have different spiritual gifts that lead us to bear fruit.
God might call you to knit a baby blanket for a new mom, or cook a meal for a sick neighbor, or write an encouragement letter, are drive someone to the dr or store.
While we each produce different kinds of good deeds, don’t compare your works to another’s. Regardless of our individual gifts, our good deeds or works they benefit people in one way or another.
4. The Fruit of Praise
Hebrews 13:15 says,
“Through him, them, let’s offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips which proclaim allegiance to His name.”
You’re probably thinking praise is singing, and while this is definitely a huge way we can praise God. I like putting in a worship CD or pulling up a worship playlist on YouTube and sing along with praise to God.
But we can also praise Him by simply thanking Him for His goodness as we go about our day. We can praise Him for His creation -for flowers, oceans, mountains, and vegetables. We can praise Hum for Hid provision -for our daily supply of food, medical care, clothing, and other resources. We can praise Him for His attributes, His love, His compassion, His wisdom, and His faithfulness. We can praise Him for the salvation He has provided and the sacrifice of Jesus made on our behalf.
We can praise Him when we pray, when we talk to others, and even when we face problems and challenges. No matter our circumstances God is always there to help us through it.
Our ability to produce fruit does not depend our own strength, just like a mango tree doesn’t depend on its muscle mass to produce mangos. It simply comes through “abiding in Jesus, and following the Holy Spirit” (John 15:5).
From Pity to Praise 