What Are You Producing?
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
— John 15:5 (ESV)
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
— Galatians 5:22–23 (ESV)
I’ll never forget my first job—picking tomatoes under the hot summer sun in the fields of Lawrence County, Mississippi. My mom and I would wake up before sunrise, head out to the field, and spend the day picking tomatoes. Afterward, we’d sort, clean, and box them, preparing them to be sold at the store. One thing was clear: the local Piggly Wiggly didn’t want bad or spoiled fruits and vegetables.
And honestly, isn’t that true for all of us? We don’t want bad, rotten fruit in our lives. When I think of a good tomato sandwich, I imagine the best, ripest tomato—not one that’s mushy or spoiled.
The Bible teaches us a lot about life, and one of my favorite lessons comes from today’s scriptures. The Bible calls us to produce good fruit.
Paul tells us in Galatians that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Just like an apple tree proves its identity by producing apples, a follower of Jesus should show evidence of these qualities in their life.
Jesus expands on this teaching by saying we bear much fruit only when we abide in Him. Without Him, He says, we can do nothing.
This truth is so important for us to grasp. Maybe you’ve noticed areas in your life where you’re not producing what you’d like. Perhaps kindness doesn’t come as easily as it once did. Maybe patience feels harder to find, or self-control seems like a constant struggle. Here’s the good news: when we abide in Jesus, He helps us grow in the areas where we fall short. But apart from Him, we can’t produce anything lasting.
Jesus isn’t asking us to have it all together before we come to Him. In fact, the opposite is true—when we abide in Him, that’s when we begin to grow and produce the fruit we need.
So, what areas of your life need growth? What do you need to trust Jesus with today? As you reflect on these questions, let me pray for you:
Jesus, I pray for each person reading this today. Remind them that it’s only in You that we can experience true growth and change. Show us the areas in our lives where we need to abide in You more deeply. Begin to produce Your fruit in us—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We acknowledge that we can’t do this on our own. Thank You, Jesus, for loving us right where we are. Amen.
