To those who are being called into new assignments from the Lord, this word is for you!

“Do not be addicted to the fruits—be addicted to the roots.”

The Holy Spirit dropped something into my spirit today that I wanted to share for anyone who may need to hear this.

I heard Him say, “Don’t be addicted to the fruit—be addicted to the root.” I asked Him to expound on that and I instantly thought of Psalm 1:3, specifically in The Passion Translation:

“He will be standing firm like a flourishing tree planted by God’s design, deeply rooted by the brooks of bliss, bearing fruit in every season of his life. He is never dry, never fainting, ever blessed, ever prosperous.”

As the Lord spoke these words to me, I felt a deep conviction that, as God expands our spheres of influence, and calls us into new and exciting things, He wants our focus not to be on the fruit of these new adventures, but on continuing to strengthen our root system in Him.

“Do not be addicted to the fruits—be addicted to the roots.”

“The fruits” that the Holy Spirit is referring to represent the visible results of what God is calling us into in this season – what is seen, celebrated, successful, and validated by others. But those things are not the goal of our obedience. If we are not careful, the fruit we are chasing after will become an idol, and we will neglect the very roots that produce fruitfulness.

“The roots” represent the unseen side of life with Christ where there is no applause, no public affirmations or accolades. It represents the hidden sacrifices of consecration, prioritizing time to listen to and align yourself with the Father’s will, a commitment to allowing the Holy Spirit to take you deeper, to confront sin and humbly follow where He leads when no one is looking. Time in the Word, listening to the Father, prioritizing rest, and obedient consecration are some of the roots from which our callings will produce fruit.

When an apple tree is planted, the blossoms and young fruit are stripped off the tree for the first three years so that, instead of the tree using most of its energy to produce fruit, it can develop a strong root system that can support a prosperous fruit tree in the future. After those three years, it’s often necessary to thin the fruit growth for a while so that it doesn’t produce a million tiny apples that don’t taste very good, but instead grows a sustainable number of apples that have the ability to grow large and delicious.

We can easily become addicted to the fruit (the results) of our faithfulness, but God is inviting us to let go of control. He is redirecting our hearts to a humbler and freer posture. The fruit of our lives is not our goal or reward – Jesus is our great reward. We are released from the pressure of producing fruit, and are being redirected to sinking our roots deeper than they’ve ever gone in Him.  

If you are finding yourself anxious over the results of what God is calling you into, if you are obsessing over the approval of those around you, if perfectionism is becoming an idol, then you are invited to lay it down once again. Ground yourself in His presence, hide yourself in His approval, commit yourself to giving God the best of you in secret places and let the fruit of your labor become peripheral. He is our goal, our prize, the joy set before us, and our great reward!

Keep stepping out in faithful obedience! Be addicted to rooting yourself beside the streams of his Word and presence so that you will prosper!