Are you a healthy tree?

Are you a healthy tree?  Philippians 2.12-13

City folk like to plant lemon trees somewhere in their yards—have you noticed?  In my area, olive trees have been en vogue for a while, too.  And while I grew up in a coastal California town, my family often drove through rich farmland, on our way to visit both my mother and my dad’s kin.  As we drove through the Central Valley, Mom and Dad would name the various crops and orchards—avocados, apricots, walnuts, almonds, and of course, a lot of orange groves.  Yes, they could identify the trees by their fruit; and often, even when the trees were not in season, they knew by their growth pattern, leaves, and even irrigation.   What does that have to do with you and me?  Nothing . . . unless we are disciples of Jesus.

Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Philippians 2.12-13

Therefore—because Jesus humbled himself, became a man, and died for us, and because He is Lord of all—you and I ought to continue to pursue an understanding of what it means to be like Christ, and follow him in obedience.  BUT WAIT….does that mean it is all up to us?  ‘That if we do not do enough, we just might find ourselves on the outside looking in?  And then…what is enough? 

From across a large room yesterday, one of my Bible study sisters bravely admitted, ‘this scares me.  What if I am not doing the right things and he rejects me one day?’  Huh, well in light of Jesus’ words, ‘Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven,’ I can understand her dismay.  Another dear sister in high emotion blurted out, ‘I even know the right things to do, but I am so overwhelmed with homeschooling my two children and life in general, I am afraid Jesus might say, ‘depart from Me, I never knew you’!  How can I be sure?  Truthfully, I’m terrified!’

These were serious questions; they were good and right questions, and yes, the discussion is another reason why Christians are ‘not to forsake the assembling of themselves together’2.  The writer of Ecclesiastes said, ‘a cord of three strands is not easily broken’.3  In this case, I had already been engaged in the mental gymnastics of what Paul was talking about, that Jesus must be Lord … and that Jesus said, not all who say ‘lord, lord’ will enter Heaven … plus, I knew what was coming, right here in Philippians 2.  Look what Paul says above—“it is God who works in you”. 

Decision.  Commitment.  Discipline.  Fruit. ~ It is a process.

I believe that ‘doing the will of the Father’ starts with a decision to follow Jesus Christ, and a commitment to ‘do what it takes’, to obey him.  We only know what to obey by reading the Word, and communing with God in prayer.  Both require discipline—when we are in His Word and practice prayer, we are abiding in Jesus Christ.  When we abide in Jesus Christ, we cannot help but bear fruit.  That is the process of transformation—the morphing of ourselves into an individual who follows the heartbeat of Jesus. 

Now, read again Paul’s words: “Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” 

Let’s go back to my two sisters—do they have cause to fear that they will be rejected?   God is looking—God always looks—at our hearts.  Both have the Spirit of God residing within, both desire to please their Father … both are ‘in process’.  If they continue to cooperate with God in the process (sanctification), HE will do it … HE will transform them … HE will cause them to be trees firmly planted, with roots going down deep, and much fruit being produced.

Are you a healthy tree?  If you do not see any fruit hanging from your branches, perhaps you are not.  Check the process above … has your commitment to him flagged?  Have you gotten away from the discipline of the Word, away from communicating with the Lover of your soul?  If so, turn around … where are you stuck?  And then ask God to grow your desire for him, for his Word, for growth, and to be fruitful … he will grant you your request.  It is a prayer he is dying to answer; actually, he already did.

Grace and Peace,

Christine