The Fruit That Grows

Read

John 15:7-8 “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

Think

Here is a funny thing about an apple tree. It never grunts and strains and tries really hard to make apples. It does not stand there sweating, thinking, “Come on, apples, grow!” The apples just come, naturally, because the tree is healthy and connected to its roots. The fruit is the result of staying connected.

That is a big idea in this whole vine picture. When you stay connected to Jesus, fruit grows in your life. And in the Bible, fruit means the good things that come out of a person: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness. You do not have to force those things. They grow when you stay close to Jesus.

This is such good news. A lot of kids think being good for God is all about trying super hard. Grit your teeth, be nice, do not mess up. But the vine shows us something different. The fruit is not mainly about trying harder. It is about staying connected to the vine.

Look at what Jesus says here. “If you remain in me and my words remain in you.” There is that word again – remain. When his words live in you and you stay close to him, the asking and the growing and the fruit all start to flow.

Here is the bridge. Do you want to be more patient with your little brother? More brave? More kind? The answer is not just “try harder by yourself.” The answer is to stay connected to Jesus, and let him grow those things in you like fruit on a healthy branch.

And notice why the fruit matters. Jesus says it shows the Father’s glory. When kindness and joy grow in you, people see it and get a little glimpse of how good God is. Your fruit points people to him.

Think about that for a second. When you are patient with your little brother, or kind to the new kid, or full of joy on a hard day, people notice. And without you even saying a word, they catch a glimpse of Jesus in you. That is what fruit does. It feeds other people and shows them the goodness of God.

Apply

Let it grow – Pick one “fruit” you want more of, like patience or kindness. Instead of just trying harder today, pray, “Jesus, grow this in me,” and stay close to him all day.

Pray

Jesus, I do not want to just try hard on my own. I want to stay connected to you and let good fruit grow in my life. Grow your love and joy and kindness in me so people can see you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.