“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise.”
– Proverbs 11:30
I think about my life like I want the fruit of my life to be like a tree of life to people around me. And I think about the people in my sphere of influence, my wife, my kids, my co-workers, the people I exercise alongside on a daily basis, the people who I interact with regularly. I want my life to be like a tree of life to those around me. In the church, I want to be a blessing to the people around me. This is the fruit of the righteous life.
Our words and our lives should draw those around us to God’s salvation in Christ.
Proverbs 11:30 Gives Us a Picture of the Tree of Life
It’s like a tree of life to the people around them and then specifically, when it uses this phrase, whoever capture souls is wise. Some translations say, “Whoever wins souls is wise.” The picture is a life that so emanates the righteousness of God, the goodness of God, the grace of God, the kindness of God in a way that causes souls, the depth of people around you to be drawn to God. I think about Matthew five, this picture of being salt and light in the world in such a way that when people see your life, they give glory to God in heaven.
Let’s pray for this in our lives. God, we pray that this would be the fruit of our lives. We would be like a tree of life to the people around us. That we would be life-giving to the people around us. That you would help us to be a blessing to our friends, family, co-workers, neighbors. We pray that the fruit of our lives will be blessing in their lives because of their interaction with us. God, may that be so in such a way that hits at the core of who they are.
This Verse Leads Us to Live Differently
We pray that you would help us to live in such a way that people in the church around us, followers of Christ around us would be encouraged in their relationship with you. They would be drawn to you in greater ways because of our influence in their lives. Then God we pray, we pray for friends, and family members, neighbors, co-workers who don’t know Christ, who are separated from you right now. We want the fruit of our lives to be drawing them to you. For them to see that you are good in us, to see that you are gracious, and kind, and loving in our lives.
We want to lead people around us to you. So, help us we pray. Help us to share the Gospel. Help us to live lives that reflect the Gospel. God may the fruit of our lives be more people knowing and loving you, and enjoying you, and pursuing you. May that be the fruit of your grace in and through us. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
