John 15:16

“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain (last)…

It seems like a rite of passage for new believers in Christ is to be ultra-Zealous for the Lord, fresh out the gate. I can remember when I first was saved, I was eager to tell the world about Jesus, but in due time I learned it was a zeal without knowledge (Romans 10:2; Proverbs 19:2). Although zealous, God used all of it because my heart was in the right place, though I was so naïve.

Fruit does not grow overnight…

Early on in my walk with Christ, I was out on the street corners, preaching the word of God, handing out tracks, you name it, but I did not know the Word of God personally for myself (zeal without knowledge).  I mimicked what I saw, and because I was not discipled, I learned through trial and error.  I had a head knowledge of God but did not know Him intimately for myself.   On the surface, the ‘works’ I did was praised by man, but no one took the time to take me under their wing, to teach me about Jesus and my identity in Him.  On the surface it looked like ‘much fruit,’ but did that fruit remain (last)… In Mark 4:28, it speaks of the earth bringing forth fruit, first the blade, then the ear, and then full corn.  A seed planted does not automatically produce fruit the next day, there’s stages to its growth.  There’s elements and external factors that contribute to the growth of the seed.

In my opinion, I believe any new believer in Christ should be discipled for at least 2 years. Apostle Paul hid away for three years before going to Jerusalem after he was saved. What was produced early on in my walk with was not fruit, but dead works.  I did not know God intimately, and what was produced was external and through human effort. There wasn’t enough time given for my roots to grow down deep in Christ.  It was by the grace of God when the storms came early on to uproot everything, His grace kept me. God is a God of patience and with time comes maturity.  Just like the aging process of cheese or wine, the longer the aging, the better the quality. In the parable of the Sower, the seed that fell among rocky ground did not last long because its roots weren’t deep.  As with anything, give it some time and the truth will always be revealed, time reveals all things. Imagine a tree in preparation for the fruit to come. The roots growing down deep into the ground. The branches stretching out far and wide. When the tree has reached its fullness, it is now ready to sustain the fruit it will bear.