Walking in Wisdom, Monday Jan. 13
My childhood home had a small crab apple tree that grew in the backyard. The branches were low, and spread out just enough that we could climb up and nestle in the middle. It had thick, bushy leaves which provided perfect shade from the summer heat. And at the end of each branch dangled the most inviting apples. Their color was as green as a lime popsicle, and their size like plump overgrown cherries. That fruit looked delicious, and I’ll never forget the first time I twisted one of the apples from its stem and took a bite. Far from the sweet juiciness I expected, my mouth was filled with a such a sour and bitter taste, I spit the apple out and threw the remainder on the ground to rot. The disappointment I felt, accompanied by a stomach ache from the little I had swallowed, taught me that not all trees bear good fruit.
“There is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit.” (vs. 43-44) Jesus says that each of us is a fruit bearing tree. And the way in which we live our lives, meaning the decisions we make, the words we speak, and our actions towards others, determine the goodness of our fruit. In His most famous sermon, the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord gives His newly chosen disciples, and all who follow Him, the key to being a tree that produces the sweetest and most choicest of fruit; and as it turns out, it’s all about attitude.
Attitude of Gratitude- Life has more than its fair share of sorrows. In verses 20-26, Jesus tells us that we can “leap for joy” through all we endure by keeping our minds fixed on the great reward that awaits us in heaven.
Attitude of Love- It’s easy to love those who love us, but in verses 27-38 Jesus tells us to go one step further and love our enemies. Treating others the way Jesus Himself does, shows us as the sons and daughters of the “Most High” that we are created to be.
Attitude of Honesty- I’ve heard it said that we tend to look at others through a microscope and ourselves through rose colored glasses. In verses 39-45, Jesus tells us to get honest about our own sins before pointing out the “speck that is in your bother’s eye.”
In my family appearances have always been important. Generation after generation have followed a pattern of putting others opinions above all else; resulting in an orchard filled with crab apple trees that are pretty to look at, but loaded with bitter fruit. I want 2020 to be a year of change for me. I want to get my attitude right, break the cycle, and grow a tree that produces a bounty of fruit for the Lord. That means getting in the dirt and fertilizing my roots with God’s Word to become firmly planted in Him. It means stretching out my branches far and wide to others in the hopes of providing love and comfort. It means making sure my own trunk is healthy and strong before noticing another’s. It means seeking the light of God’s presence, trusting Him alone to provide the warmth and nutrients I need for my fruit to grow and ripen. And finally, it means always walking, “in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of the Lord.” (Col. 1:10)
