In Opelika we had some peach trees. For four years they were fruitless. The fifth year they blossomed and my tree was full of hundreds of little green golf ball size peaches. I had visions of peach cobbler, peach ice cream, peach preserves, and peach fried pies. Every day I went to check on my peaches, and one day I noticed that every little green peach had a black spot on it with some kind of gunk oozing out. I called the county extension agent. I told him about my little sick green peaches, and he asked, “Have you been fertilizing them?” “No,” I said. “Have you been spraying them with fungicide and insecticide?” “No,” I said. “Have you done anything at all?” “No,” I said. He said, “If you want to produce a crop of peaches, you are going to have to provide a little bit of care for them.” Jesus had this thing about fruit. In Matthew 7:17-20, He says that a genuine Christian will be recognized by the fruit that his life is producing. If you want to have a healthy, strong, vital, life-giving faith, you have to tend to it. You can’t neglect it. Remember the authenticity of your faith will be known by the fruit of God that is being produced through you of goodness, gentleness, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, self-control, and faithfulness. Tend to your faith a little today so that you will be a great fruit producer.
– Dr. Tim Thompson