The joy stealers

Image courtesy of Tina Phillips at FreeDigitalPhotos.Net

     
What has happened to all your joy? – Galatians 4:15 (NIV)
     
     
When we moved to the country 35 years ago, we planted three kinds of fruit trees. I had visions of homegrown apples in bowls on the counter and sparkling jars of fresh canned peaches and pears.
     
For the most part, though, the vision remained just a dream. The apple trees never bore fruit, never grew more than three feet high, thanks to the deer. The peach tree produced luscious peaches for a few years then shriveled up and died.
     
The only fruit trees remaining are two pear trees. One is dwarfed—I think because my son shot an arrow through it when it was still quite young. The other is leafy and laden with fruit come late summer, but the pears are small, misshapen, and marked with black dimples.
     
To produce more and better fruit, the trees need cultivated and nurtured. The problem is we don’t have a clue. Or maybe it’s because we haven’t made the trees a priority. Until we get serious about those trees, until we take the time to learn how to care for them and then do it, the trees will struggle along, producing little usable fruit.
     
I tell you this story because, like fruit trees, the fruit of the Spirit also needs to be cultivated and nurtured.
     
Take joy, for example.
     
If there is anything missing from society today, it’s joy. Just look at the faces of people you see every day. Even believers, who should be oozing joy, are not. Joy should set us apart right off the bat.
     
Do you remember the joy you had at salvation? Overflowing, spilling out, you couldn’t contain it. Then little by little, life robbed you of that joy.
     
Life is going to happen. Although we can’t control it, we can control our reaction to it. We can choose joy. We can make it a priority and nurture it.
     
How?
     
First, be aware of the joy stealers that chomp away at it or shoot it right in the heart. “If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would not permit his house to be broken into” (Luke 12:39 NLT). Know the burglars will come. Don’t let them in.
     
Forgetfulness is one of those burglars. Stuck in the mire of this earthly life, we forget our past and our future: from what we’ve been saved and what awaits us in heaven.
     
Legalism is another joy stealer. Religion—all that we do to try and earn heaven (which can’t be earned—see Ephesians 2:8–9) binds us. Relationship—our personal relationship with God through His Son—frees us.
     
Unconfessed sin, disobedience, worry, anger, people, and life are other joy stealers.
     
Being aware of these thieves will make you more alert when they try to rob you. And when they do, don’t let them in.
     
How can you replace the joy you’ve lost?
     
Simple: Ask the joy-giver—God Himself—to fill you with His joy and help you to sustain it. Seek His presence (“In your presence is fullness of joy.” – Psalm 16:10).
     
Choose joy. Nurture and cultivate it. Then spread it around, letting it overflow, spilling over onto those around you.
     
     
Remind me, Father, that “the joy of the Lord is my strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). Amen.

More tea: Read Galatians 5:22–23

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Guest post: Amber Schamel

Unbelievable amounts of fruit

By Amber Schamel

Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. ~James 5:7
 

I volunteer about half my time at a non-profit ranch in the Ozarks. One of the many things I help with is the harvest of pears when they are ready for picking. We went out to the  tree with ladders, baskets, sheets, and set to work. It was absolutely unbelievable how many pears were on that single tree! We picked bushels and bushels of pears until we had them coming out our ears. A lot of pears were eaten before they even reached the house. Some were stored in boxes in the cellar. We froze gallons of them, gave some away, and still some went rotten before they could used. Then there were the pears at the top of the tree that were too high for us to reach. How was it possible for ONE TREE to produce SO MUCH FRUIT?

As we dealt with the abundance of pears, I was reminded of the verse in Galatians:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23 KJV).

If I am like a fruit tree, I want to be like the tree that bears unbelievable amounts. The qualities and character of the believer is their fruit, so what can I do to increase it? As I thought about the tree in the field, a few things came to mind.

• A healthy tree needs lots of rain and sunshine.

We need to spend time every day in the presence of the Lord, our Son-shine. We immerse ourselves in God's Word and allow His Spirit to rain down upon us, for it is His Spirit living in us that will produce the fruit.

He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.
~Ps. 72:6

•  A healthy tree needs good soil.

The soil is what we are rooted in every day. What do we feed into our mind? Are we meditating on God's Word and His promises, or are we subjecting ourselves to negative thoughts and influences?
 

And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear (Luke 8:8).
 

• A healthy tree must give of its fruit.

If we didn't harvest the pears from the tree, the fruit would rot and fall off of the tree wasted. The fruit that didn't fall off would rot on the branches, make them heavy, and prevent new fruit from growing there. The same happens to Christians. Our joy, peace, patience, faith, and love is not for keeping to ourselves, but for giving away to others. 

Give to him that asketh of thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away (Matt. 5:42).

• Sometimes a healthy tree needs to be pruned.

Is there something in my life that is holding me back in my walk with the Lord? Is there an old grudge I need to let go of? Is there something that is not a good influence on my soul that I need to prune out of my mind? 

It can be a lot of work to grow a strong, healthy and fruitful tree, but this fruit has an eternal impact.
 

Heavenly Father,
What a wonderful creation you have made! We stand in awe of the beauty we see all around us. I am always amazed at the special ways you etch Yourself into nature. Thank you for teaching us about Your Word through the parable of the pear tree. I pray that You would help me to bear much fruit, to weed out my soil, and to prune away the ungodly things in my life. Rain Your Holy Spirit upon me, I pray. Make me a profitable tree that I may bless Your people and fulfill Your plan.
I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.  

Are you taking good care of your spiritual fruit tree? In what ways do you help keep it healthy?

Bestselling author Amber Schamel writes riveting stories that bring HIStory to life. She has a passion for history, books and her Savior. This combination results in what her readers call "historical fiction at its finest." A homeschool graduate from a family of 12 children, Amber found her calling early in life. First published at age 21, she has continued to hone her craft. Between ministry, family and working in their family businesses, Amber loves to connect with readers. Find her on the Stitches Thru Time blog, or on any of the major social media sites.  

 

Amber is celebrating the October 16th release of her new book The Messiah's Sign with the Name-A-Character Giveaway! Click here or on the logo above to enter to for a chance to pick the name of a main character in Amber's upcoming book The Christmas Pardon. Terms and conditions apply.