“When I wanted breakfast, I just went to the backyard and picked an orange or a grapefruit.” A wave of envy washed over me when my dad said those words. How wonderful to get mature fruit straight from the tree!

 
Alas, I lived my childhood years in a state that is not conducive to growing oranges and grapefruits. My siblings and I did try to plant some apple seeds but quickly found out that growing a tree from seed does not happen quickly. Even once a tree begins to grow it is still a long time before we see fruit.

 
When I see new believers, I am reminded of this childhood endeavor. Just as mature fruit takes a long time (often eight to ten years) it takes patience, abiding deeply in the Vine that is Jesus, and careful tending for a new Christian to begin producing mature fruit.

What is the fruit we want to see in mature Christians? The Apostle Paul itemizes the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Even mature Christians have a hard time displaying this list all the time. So, I would implore you to treat new believers with love, patience, kindness, and gentleness when they fall short of what you expect of Christ-followers.

 
With this in mind, be the faithful gardener who carefully fertilizes, waters, and prunes the young tree. And don’t forget to give yourself a little grace when you disappoint yourself! Call upon God, our loving Gardener to prune and nurture you so that beautiful mature fruit becomes evident.