…But Does It Bear Fruit?
Photo Credit: Taryn Elliott
One way to know if something or someone is from God is by the fruit they are producing
It’s so easy to convince ourselves that something is right or from God. We can be sure that a relationship, job, move to another place, purchase- whatever it is- is from God. But, I’m convinced that the things from God always come with budding and ripe fruit. There’s no sorrow, there’s such a deep peace, even if there is no understanding of why God has done a thing.
I once was considering moving back to Spain in 2021, but I wanted to carefully seek God on the idea. So, I went for 3 months to Madrid, testing the waters to see if that was His will for my life. From the time I arrived and for the first two months there was disaster after disaster, problem after problem. I began to feel like Spain was not the place for me, and God was letting me know that it wasn’t. And I knew this because there was no fruit of the Spirit coming from my encounter with the people I was interacting with.
The AirBnb that I had rented long-term was pouring out thick gobs of orange puss from the water sockets and the owner got nasty and refused to reimburse me, so AirBnb had to step in and force him to reimburse me. The second AirBnb I rented was infested with spiders, and I reached my breaking point when spiders (and big ones I might add) were crawling in my bed. That landlord was also difficult and things turned out to be a nightmare. There were other things happening and I felt overwhelmed.
From my encounters I could not see love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Fruit of the Spirit as referenced in Galatians 5:22-23) coming from the Spanish people I encountered. On top of that (and this is something I didn’t really experience or see when I had lived in Spain the first time) is that the Spanish, while they are nice people, they are very closed people. They keep to themselves and their own friend groups, not welcoming in new people. The Brits and Americans I had met in church, who had been living in Spain for 20+ years shared that though they spoke fluent Spanish, they didn’t have close Spanish friends. I quickly realized that such a place was not for me. I quickly realized that Spain did not bear that kind of fruit that I needed from a country. I realized that God’s hand was not in my going there. I did in my last month find community and good-hearted people at the church I was going to, from expats, but I never experienced a welcome and hospitality from the people of Spain.
“The blessings of the Lord maketh rich, and He addeth no sorrow with it.”
When God is calling us to do something, or brings something or someone into our lives it bears fruit and there is no sorrow with it. Without a doubt, if God is in the center of something, though there may be hardships and challenges it will overall bear fruit, and there won’t be sorrow.
The same goes for people, we either bear good or bad fruit to those around us. If someone is evil, mean, always difficult, not welcoming, deceiving, lying, manipulative, such a person is not filled with the Spirit of God, and I’d say, needs to be parted ways with. But if someone is exhibiting the fruit that the Apostle Paul writes about in Galatians: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, then such a person is a joy to have around- and a blessing from God.
As we go into 2025, may we remember that a confirmation from God, of something or someone coming into our lives is based on the fruit they exhibit. If the fruit is off and lacking, then most likely they aren’t from God. If someone like a child or family member, someone you have to be there for and have around isn’t bearing good fruit, then God will be with you guiding you in how to deal with the situation. Even in the hardest of seasons where we’re getting bad fruit, God is with us, sharpening our characters, and sanctifying us in the process.