Like it or not, one way or another, you are going to bear fruit today.

Whether it’s cantaloupe or cockleburs depends on what you say or don’t say, what you do or don’t do, how you pray or don’t pray.

Some of the fruit we bear is determined by genetics and nurture. But we also have important choices to make and the God-given ability to change ourselves and the world around us.

If I agree with Socrates that “the unexamined life is not worth living,” it would seem productive to look in the mirror and ask myself, “What kind of fruit am I producing?” Stretching the metaphor a bit further, I might ask, “Do I need fertilizer around my roots?” and “Where do I need pruning?”

The idea of being a “fruit-checker” also applies to our relationships and the stuff we assimilate through our senses. Both have a profound effect on who we are, how we speak, and ultimately what we do.

I wonder sometimes. Am I hanging with the poison ivy or resting in the shade of the jasmine? Watch the video!