What Fruit Are You Known For?

Written by Joshua Travers

Johnny Appleseed was known by the fruit he planted as he traveled. We are also known for our fruit. What kind of fruit are you known for in your life?

There’s a famous folk legend about a man named John Chapman, who is better known by his nickname, Johnny Appleseed. He got this nickname because he often planted apple seeds throughout the countryside as he traveled around the states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Indiana.

John Chapman was known by the fruit that he planted: apples. In a similar way, we are all known by the fruit we plant. Of course, we are not talking about literal fruit, but the spiritual fruit we bear in our lives.

Need for good fruit

Jesus Christ said, “Therefore by their fruits you will know them” (Matthew 7:20). This means that we are known by the behavior our character produces. Our fruit will either be good or bad; the choice is entirely up to us (verse 17). God’s people are expected to bear godly fruit instead of the earthly fruit (Romans 7:4-5).

Christ also said, “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit” (John 15:2). It is so important that we bear fruit that God will “prune” us, or remove the parts that hinder the growth of fruit—even though this sometimes causes pain. God is not a sadist; He does not take joy in pain. The fact that He is willing to allow us to go through that pain testifies to the importance He places on our bearing good fruit.

Bearing fruit

There may be a lesson even in the use of the word bear (the Greek word phero). While the word is often used to describe the production of fruit, it also means carry, as in the phrase to bear arms.

If a fruit tree is productive, you can see its fruit at a mere glance because the tree carries, or bears, the fruit in plain sight. Our fruit should be just as evident. We shouldn’t hide the results of living God’s way of life. Instead, it should be clearly evident by the way we live our lives every day!

The fruit of the Holy Spirit

In Galatians 5:22-23 the apostle Paul provides a list of fruit that should be evident in our lives through the Holy Spirit. The nine fruits that Paul lists are aspects of God’s character and are important character traits to focus on as we spiritually develop.

Love: Christ declared, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13). While Christ demonstrated this love to its fullest, we can also lay down our lives for others by giving them our time, concern and service.
Joy: It is very easy to see a cheerful and pleasant attitude. While everybody else is complaining and negative, those with joy manage to stay content and see the positive side. Our joy should be so evident that others ask us about the cause of it (1 Peter 3:15).
Peace: “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9). Do we make peace? In order to make peace, we have to have peace within ourselves.
Longsuffering: In a world full of fast food and high-speed Internet, patience is rare. Are we the exceptions who show patience in every situation we find ourselves in?
Kindness: How kind are we? Do we help those who are in need, such as widows and orphans (James 1:27)? Is our kindness evident in small acts, such as holding a door or sending a card to someone who is sick?
Goodness: Are we good to others? Do we exercise God’s goodness as we live our lives?
Faithfulness: Are we faithful in both our words and actions? Are we deemed reliable by our friends and coworkers?
Gentleness: Are we gentle with those we deal with? Some prefer to handle every situation with an iron fist, but we should deal with others gently.
Self-control: Do we exercise self-control, or do we give in to every whim and desire that enters our minds? Do we reject temporary pleasure for long-term gain?