Oak Trees or Pear Trees?

When our family returned from our flight out of Charleston in the wake of Hurricane Floyd, we saw that our neighbor's Bradford Pear tree was completely uprooted and tossed across the yard. Not sure how our trees fared, we pulled into the driveway. The verdict? Our oak tree was still standing strong!

Which is better - the oak tree or the pear tree? Well, most everyone would say the Oak. Why? It's more deeply rooted and therefore stronger. But it takes a long time to grow, so some would say the pear is better. Which one will withstand a storm better? No doubt, the oak would withstand the storms better.

If Christians were trees, what kind of tree would you be? Jesus said we are to "make disciples." Are you a disciple? A disciple is a fully-devoted follower of Christ.

I would say that the fully-devoted followers of Christ are like oak trees. They have strong root systems that have developed over a long period of time. The trunk of an oak tree is stout and sturdy. The branch system is such that it can withstand the strongest winds. The "fruit" - the acorn - is not that beautiful but it is plentiful, but when planted, produces yet another mighty oak!

I am convinced that discipleship is the single greatest need in the church today. In fact, evangelism in America has waned because the average Christian has not been discipled; the average Christian is more like a pear tree. They have a shallow root system, the flowers bloom quickly but then soon wither, and when the storms come, the tree is oftimes uprooted and tossed.

So, why is discipleship not happening in the church? Why are churches producing a considerable number of pear trees but very few oak trees? There are probably a whole list of reasons, but the two that come to my mind are: 1) it is hard, and 2) it takes time.

C3 exists to cultivate the seed sown in the heart of ALL believers - whether they have been a believer for 20 years or 2 months. This cultivation occurs through various "growth" opportunities. These include: consistent intake of the Word of God; persistent prayer time with the "Gardener"; regular worship and digestion of God's Truth through songs, prayers, sermons, and fellowship; systematic "working out" of one's knowledge of the person AND work of Christ; proven endurance through trials and troubles (the storms) that come into one's life; and daily articulation of one's faith both in practice and in witness.

If you were to start today, it may not be for a long time that you begin to bear the fruit or resemblance of the oak tree, but if you persist with steadfast endurance, you will one day become the mighty oak that God desires for you to be.

It all begins with a decision of the heart!

Randy