Producing Out of Season
I was reading the Book of Mark recently, and came across the well known story of Jesus cursing a fig tree because he was hungry and there were no figs on it to satiate him. In Mark 11:12-14, Jesus and his disciples are leaving Bethany, and along the way, Jesus notices a fig tree in the distance. Since he is hungry, he proceeds to walk towards the fig tree in the hopes of finding fruit. When he arrives at the tree however, Jesus only finds leaves present, and pronounces that no one would ever eat fruit from this particular fig tree again. The Bible is intentional in mentioning that His disciples heard him. Later in Mark 11:20, Jesus and his disciples passed by the fig tree again, and the disciples noticed that it was indeed withered from the roots. Peter specifically brought attention to the fact that what Jesus had pronounced had come to pass. Jesus responded by encouraging His disciples to have faith so great that whatever they asked and believed for would be received, even if it entailed a mountain being cast into the sea.
Usually when this passage is read or taught, the focus is on Jesus displaying his authority by cursing the tree to the root, and him subsequently informing believers that we also wield the same authority by faith. This time, however, I was drawn to a different inflection point in the passage. Mark 11:13 states that the fig tree did not have fruit because it was not the season for figs. I must admit this slightly hurt my feelings. I immediately asked God why the fig tree was punished for not being able to produce outside of seasonal parameters? Shortly after posing the question, I was led to Psalm 1:3, which says that a blessed man who delights in the Lord, is like a tree planted by flowing streams, whose leaves never wither, who bears fruit in the proper season, and who experiences much success. The New Living Translation, however, notes that this same blessed man is like a tree that not only bears fruit in its season, but in every season.
When we are submitted to the Creator God, we must be able to have fruit on demand, for we never know when it will be needed to nourish someone else. The Apostle Paul confirms this when he tells his spiritual son Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:2 to, “Preach the word. Be prepared in season and out of season…”. Other translations of this scripture encourage us to produce whether conditions are convenient and favorable, or not. This could mean pushing through burnout and anxiety caused by a global pandemic, through uncertainty after job loss, or even through soul crushing grief. As someone who has recently experienced a season of consecutive losses of loved ones, I can attest to how easy it is for grief and weariness to come in and settle like a dense fog. I began to feel that the fog gave me a legitimate reason to cast aside calling, and almost resigned to trying again next year when the conditions of life had settled a bit. But deep down I heard the Holy Spirit whisper that it was not quitting time. I was reminded of one of my favorite sermons, “Girl, Get Up”, by one of my favorite Pastors, Sarah Jakes Roberts. The title of the sermon serves as a mantra for those of us experiencing life’s challenges that threaten to halt fruit production. When the fog rolls in, at some point it is our duty as Kids of The Resurrected King to resume production for His Glory. Even if we must put on our fog lights and navigate the precarious turns of life more slowly, we are still called to produce.
I want to make it clear that getting up does not mean that we dishonor the need for periods of bereavement or rest, nor does it require us to pretend that current conditions are copacetic. Rather, getting up is an active declaration of belief in the renewing and redeeming power of our Father. Philippians 2:13 says that God will give us both the desire and the power to do what pleases Him. This is one of my favorite scriptures because it takes the pressure off of me. I don’t have to have it all figured out. I can trust that God has already ordered my steps, and will give me the desire and power to travel the path that was already predestined for me. I can trust that his plans for me will come to pass, enabling me to cast aside entanglements that would seek to choke my fruit. Finally, I can trust that the decision to get up and produce in every season is one that pleases my Heavenly Father.
Prayer: Lord, life is hard right now. The fog of fear, grief, anxiety, and uncertainty sometimes feels too much to bear. Please lift the fog and help me to get up. Give me the desire and the power to do what pleases you. Prepare me for the calling you’ve bestowed upon me, and help me to produce fruit that nourishes others in every season.
In the Matchless Name of Jesus,
Amen.
