One Introduction Producing God's Fruit: The Key to a Fulfilled Life When my family and I (Wayde) were missionaries in Vienna, Austria, we lived in a quaint village called Grinzing on the edge of the Vienna woods on the outskirts of Vienna. Grinzing is surrounded by flowing hills lined with meticulous rows of vineyards, and a certain path through the vineyards is called the "Beethoven Path," because tradition tells us that it was the composer's favorite place to walk. For part of his life Beethoven lived in a flat at Grinzinger Strasse 64 where he wrote his Symphony no. 6, "Pastoral."1 Beethoven may have gazed from his apartment window at his peaceful pastoral surroundings and been inspired to write this symphony. When I lived in Grinzing I often watched the vineyard farmers from the hilltops where I went to pray. Each fall, as a result of their hard work the rest of the year, the grape farmers would bring in the harvest. After the harvest they would prune the vines to near ground level. The first time I watched them I thought they were going to destroy their vines. During the winter months all I could see on the hills were rows of stakes holding up wire. I couldn't imagine how the farmers could hope to produce a profitable crop the next season. Yet each farmer carefully tilled the soil and checked the wire lines and stakes to be sure they were firmly connected to each other. The farmers seemed sure that they were doing the right thing and that the fall would see a good harvest. The cold winter soon transitioned into spring, and as the trees of Vienna began to blossom, the vineyards began to produce vines that quickly grew up the stakes and across the wires, and soon tiny grapes appeared that would ripen for the fall harvest. The farmers really did know what they were doing! Until I had watched an entire growing cycle, I did not understand why the farmers did what they did. Each pruned the branches drastically and tilled the soil faithfully even when there was no evidence that the branches would produce a good harvest. They knew from past experience that if they did their job effectively and the weather cooperated, they would witness a tremendous harvest. When Jesus was explaining to his disciples how they would be able to produce God's fruit, he used the analogy of a vineyard (see John 15:1-17). He said they were like the branches of a vine the heavenly Father, the Gardener, would prune so that they could produce fruit. He also told them what the fruit would look like and why some branches had to be destroyed. Jesus Christ, the Vine, is perfect. He desires for us to produce fruit like that of our Creator, and he knows that this is possible only if we are connected to him. As we grow in our Christian walk, we understand more and more why we must be pruned. How Can We Produce God's Fruit? Pastor and author Stuart Briscoe tells the story of a friend who often used an old fruit tree to escape from his second-story bedroom window, especially when his father was about to punish him. One day the father announced that he was going to cut down the old tree because it had not borne fruit in many years. That night the boy and his friends purchased a bushel of apples and in the cover of darkness tied fruit to the unproductive branches. The next morning the father shouted to his wife, "Mary, I can't believe my eyes. The old fruit tree that was barren for years is covered with apples. It's a miracle because it's a pear tree!"2 As any vineyard or orchard owner knows, dried up, dead branches do not produce fruit, for the branches are unable to receive nourishment from the vine. If the branches are healthy and properly connected to the vine, however, so that nutrients can flow through them, they will produce fruit as healthy as the vine to which they are attached. Likewise, we will produce the kind of fruit that pleases God if we are connected to his Son. Jesus said, "I am the vine; you are the branches" (John 15:5). When our lives are totally committed to God and we are determined to obey him, we will bear the fruit of Christ because he is the Vine! We cannot help bearing all the fruit of the Spirit when we remain in him. Neil Anderson, in his book Daily in Christ, explains: The soul of the spiritual person reflects a change generated by spiritual birth. He can now receive his impetus from the Spirit, not just from the flesh. His mind is being renewed and transformed. Peace and joy instead of turmoil characterize his emotions. It is our responsibility to choose not to walk according to the flesh, but to walk according to the Spirit. As the spiritual person exercises his choice to live in the Spirit, his life bears the fruit of the Spirit.3 This truth could be seen in the life of the great professional golfer Payne Stewart. The sports world was shocked when, in a tragic and bizarre plane crash, Stewart's life was suddenly taken in the fall of 1999. Golfers everywhere were talking about his performance that year as the world watched him come back from a loss in the 1998 U.S. Open to win in 1999 by holing a fifteen-foot putt on the final hole. He also played a key role in the Ryder Cup victory. Not only were professional golfers respectful of Stewart's ability on the course, but they were even more amazed by his changed life. The man who had once been restless and uncaring about what the press or public thought of him had experienced a dramatic change. None of Stewart's friends can pinpoint the exact moment of his conversion, but his pastor, J. B. Collingsworth of Orlando, said, "People have prayed for a long time. I told him, 'With you, it will probably happen in a hotel room.' With him, it almost crept up on him."4 Excerpted from The Fruit of the Spirit: Becoming the Person God Wants You to Be by Thomas E. Trask, Wayde I. Goodall All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
