Bearing Good Fruit

Praise is a fundamental aspect of Christian life. It is essential that, in our prayers, we learn to praise God. We should praise Him by acknowledging His blessings in our lives and the gifts He has given us. Let us not always complain in prayer about what we do not have, but let us also learn to give thanks for what we do have. Let us praise God because He is God. Let us praise Him with prayers of praise, with our voices and our bodies; let us praise Him with songs of praise 

True praise is bearing fruit

Jesus said: ‘This people honours me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me’ (Mt 15:8). Sometimes in the world there are people who are honoured out of pure formality. People meet them and shower them with flattering words. They greet them with deep bows. But as soon as they turn their backs on them, they insult them. Sometimes our praise risks being empty. We praise God with our lips, but our behaviour insults him. Jesus teaches us how to praise the Father. ‘My Father is glorified when you bear much fruit’ (John 15:8). Through the way I live, I can inspire others to begin to praise God. ‘Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven’ (Mt 5:13–16). 

Our extraordinary spiritual experiences must not remain merely theoretical. We must bear fruit. What fruit are you bearing in your life right now? Perhaps you’re thinking: ‘But I’m not a pagan, after all; I do things for God’. But are you what Jesus would want you to be? How many talents have you been given? How much are you producing? From those to whom much has been given, much will be required. Is your knowledge of the things of God on a par with your practice of God’s word? Don’t be content with thirty fruits when you can produce a hundred. In the spiritual life, we must always seek to grow. The more you grow in the knowledge of God, the more fruit you must bear. If we do not bear fruit, our Christian life is barren.

The nature of the fruit we must bear

‘But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control’ (Galatians 5:22–23). Here is a brief example of the fruit a Christian has borne: ‘To bear the fruit that called on us to be the first to love, I performed an act of love towards my in-laws; there were people in my in-laws’ family whom I used to criticise for not visiting me. After the retreat, I decided to make a gesture. I went shopping and visited some members whose homes I had never been to before. They were very surprised and delighted, and promised—without my even asking—to come and visit me too. I experienced what St John of the Cross said: ‘Where there is no love, put love there, and you will receive love in return.’ Let us bear good fruit. A good tree is recognised by its fruit.

Remaining in Jesus

But to bear much fruit, we must be united with Jesus. ‘Without me you can do nothing’ (Jn 15:5). ‘Just as a branch cannot bear fruit unless it is united to the vine, so unless you remain in me, you cannot bear fruit ’. One can be active but bear no fruit if one does not abide in Jesus. ‘If I have no love, I am nothing’ (1 Cor 13:1–3).

Henri Bayemi