The science of fruit trees (pomology) is fascinating to me.  I have apple trees and enjoy studying and managing them for fruit production.  This involves late winter pruning, ground nutrition, sun exposure, blossom protection from frost, maximum pollination, fruit thinning, pest control, and deer/ rabbit protection.

Bottom line, with a little knowledge we can cause and expect a tree to produce fruit.

The same is true of scientists.  I have been working in R&D for a corporation for the past ~19 years.  This year alone I expect to file as many as 10 patents for my company. I am in the middle of a “fruit” explosion so to speak in my vocation and it is a wonderful feeling, regardless of whether or not I am given credit or promoted for it, I know that I am producing fruit in abundance for my company now and that alone is very satisfying.

Freedom to explore, collaboration with others and access to funds are the cultural and practical environment which made this fruit explosion possible.  Similarly I’ve noticed that the top producing scientists in my company are great at these three things.  They take and are given freedom to work on anything, they voraciously collaborate and build a strong internal network and they have access to funds… almost as much as they want.

Similar to the apple tree and the scientist is the Christian producing fruit.

Christian fruit can take many forms and include all the fruits of our spiritual gifts, which can be manifested in many forms including: letters, evangelistic messages in written and spoken form, instructional and inspirational books, blog posts, helps, financial gifts to the poor, podcast episodes, new spiritual songs, poems, special insights into lives of unbelievers. Fictional stories, parables, metaphors, scientific discoveries, witty ideas, inventions of things and processes, blessings to friends (which can take many forms). miraculous signs, miraculous healings, and countless other forms of ‘fruit’ the world has yet to see.

All things were created by and for Jesus Christ (Col 1:16b) and I believe that he expects his body to produce ‘fruit’ in the earth.  But we must prepare ourselves to produce fruit, conditions for fruit production can be optimized. We can manage our spiritual lives like we manage a fruit tree. Every believer can make four preparations to maximize his/ her our own fruit production for Jesus Christ.

1. Complete engagement in producing the type fruit that God expects from us. We need to focus on the idea of producing fruit, this can not be a casual want or a side-project that we get to on Sunday’s if we have enough time, it is one of the very purposes of human life and our fruit is our specific and chief calling.
2. Know what type of fruit is expected from us, God has gifted us all differently, he exposes us to different seasons of life at different times. To know what fruit God expects of us is half the battle, much time in prayer and fruit experimentation is the place to start.
3. Fit into the body of Christ, we are members of Christ’s body, not independent creators, we produce best when interacting, when fellow-shipping,when sharing our lives with other Christians, when mixing and developing ideas, exploring and encouraging others.
4. Divert resources to producing fruit, an apple tree diverts water and considerable energy producing apples each year. Successful tech companies divert considerable capital and cash and skilled scientists and engineers to R&D. Similarly a member of the body of Christ committed to producing fruit for Jesus Christ should intentionally divert his/ her time and finances to producing fruit for others.

What fruit are you producing and what fruit are you producing for Jesus Christ?