Imagine walking into your local grocery store and finding absolutely no fruit—none. Then you’re told that the trees planted around us didn’t bear any fruit at all. Crazy, right? But just stick with me for a moment. Think about it: mango trees produce mangoes, orange trees produce oranges, guava trees produce guavas. It’s in their very nature. It’s their purpose. So, when a tree doesn’t produce, we would be confused, even disappointed. Well, the same applies to human beings. We, too, were created with a specific purpose.

The Bible tells us clearly in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (ESV), “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.” If we didn’t create ourselves, then it only makes sense that our Creator, God, would have a purpose for us. And from these verses, we see that our purpose is to fear God and follow His commandments.

(Keep in mind, when the Bible talks about “fearing” God in the above verse, it doesn’t mean being terrified. Instead, it means having a deep, reverent awe of who God is).

Jesus even echoes this purpose in John 6:38 (ESV), saying, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.” If we believe that Jesus’ life is the perfect example for how we should live as Christians, then we, too, are called to live according to God’s will, revering Him and obeying His commandments, just as Jesus did.

But here’s something else to think about. Trees don’t just magically produce fruit; they need to stay connected to the soil to receive the nutrients that help them grow. It’s the same for us. We need to stay connected to God, our Source, to grow spiritually and bear fruit. And what is that fruit? It’s the transformation that happens within us—the way we think, speak, act, and carry ourselves.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law.” ~ Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV) This is the kind of fruit we should strive to bear in our lives.

So, as we dive into God’s Word this year, my prayer is that we would fully yield ourselves to Him. Let’s allow God to nurture us and help us bear the kind of fruit that reflects His love and grace. As we do this, I believe we will continue growing 2gether. Grace and peace 🙂