Stop Watering the Fruit

About a week ago, I came home from the YMCA and noticed that our flowers, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and even bushes were drooping in the heat. As I watered them, I thought about how silly and ineffective it would be to water the leaves and fruit instead of the roots. Imagine climbing up a ladder in order to wet the apples on the top branches of a tree! However, we sometimes do this in our Christianity. We see the fruit in our lives, our ministries, our mission trips, our Bible studies, and our churches and become so focused and excited about the ripe tomatoes and delicious apples that we pour all our energies into the fruit… basically, we start watering fruit instead of roots. We make ministry more of a priority than God.

However, if we want fruit in our lives, we must water roots. Watering roots means spending time with Jesus in the secret place. It means abiding. It means meditating on His Word, being planted by the rivers of water (Psalm 1). Fruit is a natural result of good roots. Both a lack of fruit and an abundance of fruit should drive us to Jesus. That’s something I’m becoming more and more aware of: I need Jesus. If I don’t have skills in an area, I need Jesus. If I have skills in an area, I need Jesus.  There are many things I want to do in life, but I must realize that those things come out of watering my roots. All fruit is a result of abiding, a moment by moment confession of our dependence on Him. This weakness is what He wants.  Jim Cymbala, pastor of Brooklyn Tabernacle, wrote in his book Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire, “God is attracted to weakness. He can’t resist those who humbly and honestly admit how desperately they need Him.”

For some reason we cringe at being weak...but ah! This is what Jesus delights in. He chooses the common fishermen to be like Him. He chooses the lepers and the lame to proclaim His Name. He chooses me and you to show forth His praises and to glorify Him by bearing much fruit (1 Pet. 2:9, Jn. 15:8).

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit, for without Me you can do nothing.” –John 15:5

Do you believe this? Then go water your roots. :-)