I was thinking about the indicator lights in my car. One came on the other other day that said that something was wrong with my fuel cap. Well, I wiggled the fuel cap and made sure it was tight but the indicator light stayed on until the next time I turn the car on. I guess I "fixed" it. LOL! But the light is only a clue that something might be wrong so I have to be sensitive to discover if it is worth taking the car in and spending big bucks to have it hooked up to the computer or just a weird thing with the sensor like it getting dusty or rattled loose from my bumpy road. I pay attention to those lights because it could be something serious that needs to be fixed right away so I can save my car from destruction or seriously expensive repairs.
We have indicator lights in our natural bodies, don't we? If we are sleepy in the morning and need an extra cup of coffee it might mean we should not have stayed up so late chatting on Facebook or watching that really great ballgame that went into overtime. That indicator might tell us to get our tushes to bed earlier. If we have a sore throat it might indicate to us that we need more vitamin C or eat better. When we step on the scale and we see the digits mysteriously rising higher and higher then we know we need to stop eating ice cream or those extra mashed potatoes like it's a staple to our diets. With the natural indicator lights if we don't pay attention to them our health will be in ruin in a short amount of time.
What indicator lights do we have in other parts of life like our relationships? If I'm having strife with my husband, it might be a signal that I have not been spending quality time with him and just doing things for myself. I need to pay attention when my kids are whining that I never play games with them or take them to the mall. (which I really do not like to shop but they do so I need to make an effort). If we are feeling like nobody likes us and everybody hates us then we need to exam how we have been nurturing our relationships or neglecting those same relationships.
Have we been overly critical? Are we finding that others are saying things about us that maybe are only a shadow of who we truly are? If we find this in our lives, it is possible that we have planted seeds of criticalness or not planting grace into someone elses life when they needed it most. This lack of grace is what we end up reaping when the harvest is ready to come back to us. These are indicators that we need to plant good seeds in our lives so we can reap good fruit and not bitter.
So what are some bitter fruits that we might reap and have to eat if we are not paying attention to what we are sowing?
Bitter fruit
A lack of forgiveness will cause us to eat bitter fruit. If we have some hurt come our way, we have a choice we can speak evil into our lives and bellyache aloud about what that person did to me or I can go to the Father and ask him to heal that hurt. While I'm healing, I don't keep picking at that scab. It will have to keep healing over and over instead of just healing up once and then there is scar that others can see until God has had a chance (it takes time) to totally give you new life in this area of your walk with Him.
Indicator lights might be: lack peace when that person is brought up in conversation, staying stuck in a "woe is me" type attitude, and a general fatigue in both physical and spiritual endeavors.
Repent of bitter fruit seed that you've planted and start speaking what God's Word says about a situation. Speaking the problem over and over is like eating the bitter fruit and replanting all those seeds from that fruit. It won't get better until you change the cycle.
Fruit of lack
If you feel you always want what you can't afford or have fallen into the trap of buying things on credit you may have inadvertently planted seed of lack.
We want something and dwell on it more than God's desires for us and eventually we will be eating the fruit of lack. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desire of your heart. Don't turn this around...you don't get what you want by buttering up the Lord. You get HIS desires when you delight yourself in him. You will be a peace and live a satisfied life when you delight in the Lord.
Fruit of fear
Fear of man is a snare it says in the Word of God. When I feel fear, I try to ask myself if I have leaned toward putting my trust in a person rather than trusting fully on God. I will fall apart quicker than anything when I have been fearing what others think rather than what I know God thinks about me. God thinks I'm the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. He thinks I'm the head and not the tail. He thinks I'm more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus.
Indicators: working so others will like you or to "force" God to notice you and even love you. If we fear what others think we might have the fear of man more than fearing God. When we fear God it leads to wisdom. When we fear man it leads to eating the fruit that makes us feel driven to succeed when in God we are a success!
Fruit of complacency
A feeling like we are spinning our wheels in life and really not going forward. If we have become too comfortable where we are at then we will not take the risks that God intends for us to build up our faith. What is in your life that causes you to stay put in the boat and not want to get out and follow Christ. The feeling of dissatisfaction is actually a blessing in this case since it is the Lord trying to call you out of your comfort zone and press in after Him.
Dry and withered fruit
Let's face it. If we don't nurture the seeds that we've planted then we will have fruit that will not nourish us. We will have "good" fruit but just barely. We can eat it this season but not have any for the next and a famine in our spiritual life is inevitable. If we find our fruit is withered we can start planting seeds today that will produce a good harvest. We need to seek God to know what we are lacking for sweet abundant fruit. Maybe we are letting the enemy rip us off from some good fruit by what we are confessing. Maybe we believe that God wants us to be living abundantly but we keep saying things like, "I'm so sick and tired of dealing with these kids or this stubborn spouse". We are confessing fatigue and withered fruit. We might be believing for God to give our spouse a better job or a promotion with more pay but we keep speaking about all the negative that comes our way, "Life if just so unfair to us. My husband works so hard and no one ever gives him any credit!" When instead we should be saying aloud that we are blessed and highly favored and God is for us so who can be against us! Hallelujah God is good!"
Withered fruit can be season after season if we don't learn to speak God's Word and stop speaking our problems.
