Fruit Check

You (or I) may say, "Hey, I don't always see the good that's inside me (new creation) come out" -  you know who you are in Him but then go out and live like you belong to the world.  Well, me too, and that is one of my biggest frustrations.  And we know we'll never be perfect in behavior this side of heaven.  But it's not up to us to make the fruit come out, it's up to Him.  He's doing it for sure along His own timetable.  

The more I focus on what I'm doing wrong and trying to change/improve, the worse it gets.  Also, if there is any way I'm condemning myself for not being better, that only makes it worse, also.  The only thing that ever helped me actually live righteously was to stop focusing on that and just feed on grace remember He loves me, He's already made me righteous, He's living in me and taking care of my concerns.    And I do believe it's really all His work, a work of grace He does to bring us to feed on grace, believe the truth..

Fruit matters but it seems if we focus on or look for the fruit, things don't work out right!  Yet with our focus on Him, all flows more smoothly.  I used to have a saying in my kitchen:  Focus on Jesus, not what you think you should be doing for Him. 
 

HE 's the one who produces the fruit, we only bear it. HE'S the one who renews and transforms, we only look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.  What is our job?  Rest in Christ.  He will work in and through us and His life will come out and the world will be attracted to its beauty!  What's the job of the mother bird on the nest of eggs?  Rest.  Those eggs will hatch for sure, she need do nothing but rest.  The law of life will take effect. We have His seed and it will bring forth fruit by the same type of law - for us the law of the Spirit will work in us.  The Promise:  I will put My Spirit in you and cause you to walk in My ways - Ez. 36:27  He will do it.  

So we don't go around doing fruit checks or searching our branchlets for any sign of fruit growing.  We just enjoy the life of the vine.  The Life flowing in us will naturally produce all the fruit He wishes in His own perfect time and way.  The pressure is off of us to "produce fruit" for God.  We can relax in the vine.. 

                 With love from