According to the 2nd ed. of the Cambridge Idioms Dictionary the idiom “to bear fruit” is explained: if something someone does bears fruit, it produces successful results. The key word of this expression is “result.” This is the exact recompense that us, people, are searching for, and expecting from all things that we do. However, too often it happens that we expect the result to just happen, out of nowhere, without us working for it.
So, before literally starting to bear fruit, there are a few other pre-conditions that should be met. That’s why I thought I will provide my own explanation to the current expression. The idiom “to bear fruit” suggests that before any seed turns into a fruit, it has to be exposed to several phases. It needs to be planted, watered, taken care of, protected by outside factors, etc. Only after this long process is minuscule followed the results are visible and can be easily determined as successful. The hard work is finally paid off.
Right now I am working on my Masters in the United States of America, and there are times when I feel like I work so hard on my classes, I put so much time and energy in papers and research. These are those times, when the tunnel seems to be too long, and I get overwhelmed by all these “outside factors.” I get anxious thinking that the result of my work is too far away from me and because I can’t see it and “touch” it, it seems that it is not there. However, pretty soon I realize that any hard work, dedication, sacrifice and discipline brings with itself sooner or later a good result. So, my encouragement to all of you and to myself is that if I continue to water the seed, to take care of it, to protect it by the outside factors, I will surely enjoy the successful result that is worthy to be waiting for.
A great illustration that comes to my mind and describes this idiom is my parent’s garden. After my mother spends most of time in that garden, planting seeds, waking up at 5 AM to water them, cleaning them of bugs, breeding and sweating every day during spring and summer, she is ready to collect the harvest. Her hard work is paid by the successful result that she has been investing in with her life.
The Bible provides a long text about what it means to bear fruit. Jesus Christ Himself gave a speech to His disciples regarding this concept. Here is what He said:
John 15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
So, the condition of bearing fruit, which Jesus implies here, is that the branch that is by itself cannot bear fruit. It needs to remain in the vine, the vine being Jesus. When the branch remains in the vine, it produces fruit. Sometimes it gets to be pruned by the gardener (God) for its own benefit – of producing more fruit. My favorite part of this text is the following sentence of Jesus’ speech: “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” As Christians, as Jesus’ disciples, we all should bear fruit, much fruit. Us bearing fruit is to God’s glory who desires for us to bear much fruit. However, the final decision is ours. Am I ready to bear fruit?
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