Check the fruit 010411
When we plant fruit trees we do it for the fruit that they bear. A person who plants a mango tree expects mangoes after some time. There is usually a problem if the tree fails to produce mangoes. This is the reason why Jesus cursed one tree when He did not find fruit in its expected season.
There are many things that are happening these days that make it necessary for you to be very careful. There are individuals whose lives are producing fruit, alright, but it is not clear whether the fruit is genuine or not. Some of the fruit they promise is exactly what you need at this time in your life. But there is danger if you just pluck from the tree and eat without checking first. This is because, unlike trees, humans can produce different kinds of fruit. They may claim to produce sweet fruit when actually it is bitter; or to produce oranges when it is actually lemons. You only get to know after you have tasted the fruit. The problem is that some of the ‘trees’ produce poisonous fruit. When people eventually realize this it will be too late.
Most people cannot identify a fruit tree by looking at its leaves. There is a chance of deception as well when the trees are similar as is the case with citrus trees like lemon and orange trees. You only get to know which is which when they bear fruit. Some people, however, seem to be deceived easily and pay for a whole batch of the fruit produced by a certain tree before they ascertain whether it is capable of producing fruit or not. Even if it bears fruit, they cannot tell whether it is bitter or sweet. This is dangerous in that there is usually no time to recover after you realise that the product is not what you bargained for.
It does not matter how much the tree promises you, wait until it produces fruit for a couple of seasons before you are satisfied that it is a good tree. Its fruit may look juicy and healthy but make sure it is not poisonous before you take a bite. There is wisdom in waiting. Sometimes the poison is slow acting. You take a big bite and wait for a reaction and nothing happens in a week and you are convinced the fruit is good for you but only to find out later that it is poisonous when the effects eventually catch up with you a month or a year down the line.
Jesus warned His disciples sternly about people who claim to be His followers. He told them not to trust quickly but to wait until they started producing fruit. His argument was that a good tree is not capable of producing bad fruit, and a bad one will not produce good fruit either. It does not matter how long the bad tree tries to convince everyone that its fruit is good for them; soon it will be discovered for what it is. There are a number of things that you can check to make sure the tree you are dealing with is genuine or fake.
- Check the speech.
The Bible says that even a fool is considered a wise man if he keeps his mouth shut. Only when he begins to speak does he show his foolishness. It is so with all people. If you listen careful to what they say both in public and in private you will discover who they really are. From the abundance of their heart their mouth will soon speak. No matter how much someone tries to hide his/her character, he/she will eventually show it in speech one day. It is important, therefore, that you watch as much as you can that the individual says before you take everything they offer. If you decide to skip this vital step you will find that as time goes on you will find it difficult to believe anything negative that other people will tell you about the individual. It is your responsibility to check that the individual’s speech is consistent with who they say they are.
- Check the works.
There are many people who are good at pretending to be who they are not. For some time they get to make everyone believe they are saints. But as time goes on what they do in the dark finds itself in the light. This is because people cannot hide their true behavior for long. If an individual claims to be holy, check their actions especially in private. They can claim to be one thing but they cannot sustain it for ever. Sooner than later, they usually find themselves behaving in a different way to the picture they want to portray. Do not rush to believe every individual who portrays him/herself as good. Give them time to prove it and with time their speech or actions will tell the true story.
- Check response when there is a mistake.
When a man makes a mistake he either apologises or blames someone else. The man who takes the blame and genuinely apologise is probably genuine. If the individual keeps making mistakes and blaming everyone except themselves then you have a deceiver. One who keeps making mistakes and apologizing is not good either. Make sure it is not in them to make mistakes daily. Otherwise you will have serious problems. The fruit is the best indicator when it comes to the type of person an individual is.
