Fruit Inspector - Martin Wiles

You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Matthew 7:16 NLT

What looks good outwardly can occasionally disappoint.

I’m not a fruit inspector—at least not by profession. But I do inspect fruit before purchasing it. When selecting apples and oranges, I look for bruises or soft spots. If I’m buying a bag of Irish potatoes, I make sure there are no rotten spots. Bananas can’t be bruised or overripe. Some fruit, however, can trick me.

I recall buying one bag of black grapes. They had all the appearances of being ripe and sweet, but when I plopped the first one in my mouth, I was met with an unpleasant taste. Sourness. And, unfortunately, the entire bunch was identical. Since grapes don’t ripen once removed from the vine, I threw them away. I’ve purchased a few watermelons and cantaloupes that also fooled me. Unlike grapes, however, they continue to ripen, so if I’m patient, I’ll eventually experience a good taste.

Jesus instructs us to be fruit inspectors, whether we get paid for it or not. Just as some fruit appears to be ripe but isn’t, some people seem to be Jesus’ disciples but are actually false teachers—wolves in sheep’s clothing.

Jesus’ admonition reminds us that we can deceive others. Through our actions, emotions, words, and attitudes, we portray our identity, but we can also disguise our identity by those same means. When we curtail them to fit a particular situation or display certain ones when around specific people, we define ourselves as someone particular—genuine or hypocritical.

God knows our hearts. We do, too. We may succeed in fooling others about our true identity, but in our hearts, we know whether we’re being true to our inner selves. So does God. That’s why he pricks our conscience when the two don’t match up. He doesn’t want us leading others astray, nor does he want us fooling ourselves. We must inspect others’ fruit, but also ours.

Cultivating our vines through spiritual disciplines so we’ll bear more fruit that’s ripe, sweet, and delicious is vital. When others inspect us, we should want them to find abundant good fruit, but we don’t want them to discover hypocrisy.

Make sure the spiritual fruit you’re producing is sweet to others’ taste.

Father, may the fruit I produce show others that I am your child. 

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Lifelong Productivity - Solace from the Psalms - Martin Wiles

For thousands of years, people have found comfort in the Psalms. No matter what emotion you are experiencing or fight you're facing, the psalms have something important to say. For the next little while, Love Lines from God will feature, "Solace from the Psalms." We hope you enjoy. And please share them with a friend. 

They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Psalm 1:3 NLT

Spring. Trees budding. Flowers blooming. Freshly plowed fields embedded with fruit-bearing seed. Youthful vigor. The sun’s warming rays. Life at its finest. Invincibility. 

Summer. Unbearable heat. Incipient fruit dangling from trees awaiting fall. Busyness. Too much to do and too little time to do it in. Misplaced priorities. Mislaid focus. Life is good.

Fall. Harvest. Leaves showing their true colors, falling and littering the ground, leaving behind bountiful fruit dangling on cringing limbs. Life slows. Priorities are reconsidered. Children are grown and gone. Aches and pains. 

Winter. Barrenness. Empty fields and gardens. Bare trees. Brown grass. Ominous winds and diving temperatures. Snow and ice. Glowing fireplaces. Sickness. Disease. Dying spouses. Dying friends. Dying relatives. Life grinds to a halt.

The seasons of life come and go with rapid haste and a mind of their own, but the psalmist proposes the possibility of fruit at each stage.

Lifelong productivity is attainable by engaging in what produces fruit that never dies: God’s Word. Sinking our roots into its life-giving principles yields fruit from youth until death. They remind us about what’s spiritually healthy and unhealthy. The wisdom that guides us through the changing seasons and their accompanying challenges is uncovered.

As winter approaches, poor health may prevent us from doing all we once did, but even then we can produce fruit for God’s kingdom through intercessory prayer and by using technology’s advancements.  A press of the “enter” key allows us to touch the world.

No matter what season you’re living in, bear fruit for God.

Max Lucado wrote; “If we live our lives this way, then we can…enter into our final years with the assurance of knowing that life was well spent and that heaven is but a wink away” (On the Anvil p. 163).

Tweetable: Are you still bearing fruit for God?

Prayer: Lord, You have created us to bear fruit throughout every season of life.

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Pure in Speech - Martin Wiles

I am determined not to sin in what I say. Psalm 17:3 NLT

Playing with words is intoxicating.

I’m not accustomed to sign language—nor do I need to be. I employ words, not hands, when speaking. And since I’m a writer, I play with words daily, trying to find the right one that says exactly what I intend and that will pique the readers’ interests so they’ll turn the next page or examine the next post.

To make my words do the trick, I do acrobats. Reviewing grammar rules is one. Varying sentence structure is another. Finding vivid nouns, adjectives, and verbs is crucial. Avoiding too many adverbs is wise.

Getting where I am wasn’t easy. Hard work, daily practice, and mistakes came along the way. And I’m still learning. I recently found a website that evaluates articles, telling whether they’re flabby, trim, lean, or in need of toning.

We communicate with words, but they’re tricky. As David well knew, they can be formulated into sinful utterances. He, however, was determined not to sin with his words.

Words reflect my heart . . . my character. They tell others who I am and what’s important to me. Jesus said something similar to David, “For whatever is in your heart determines what you say (Matthew 12:34).” If Christ’s forgiveness has changed my heart, others should notice. Choosing the correct word is essential.

What I say can’t be retracted. Once it’s out, it’s out. I can solicit forgiveness, wish I hadn’t said it, say I’m sorry, but I can’t retrieve it and stuff it back into my mouth. Damaging words create damage.

Since words reflect my character, they become a good or poor witness. Jesus reminds believers we are salt and light. Bad words make my salt kill instead of preserve and enhance. They also hide and eventually extinguish my light for Him.

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. And my words should regularly reflect those traits. Sure, I’ll slip occasionally. I’m not perfect. No one is. But with God’s help—and my determination—I’ll get better at speaking every day, just as I hope to do with writing.

Let God help you choose the right words.

Tweetable: What can you change about your speech?

Prayer: Father, remind us our words are a reflection of who we are. Help us let others see You through them. 

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Flashback Friday - Fruit the Hard Way - Martin Wiles

Fruit the Hard Way

Some think it’s easy, but I didn’t. I’d watched my grandfather do it for too many years.

Growing a garden is relaxing but also taxing. Breaking up a piece of unplowed ground with a tiller emits sweat, filthiness, and if I’m not cautious a few words better left unsaid. Rows must be drawn off, fertilizer added, and seed planted. Plants must be weeded and watered and sometimes sprayed with poison. Then the fruit must be harvested and canned or placed in the freezer. All time-consuming endeavors. While fresh fruit is delicious, it’s the product of demanding work. Read more...

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