Philippians 1:11

Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

Paul does not say we are filled with opinions.
He does not say we are filled with arguments.
He says we are filled with fruit.

Fruit grows slowly.
Fruit feeds others.
Fruit brings glory to God.

Now listen to the wisdom tucked away in the Law.

Deuteronomy 20:19

When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe against them: for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down (for the tree of the field is man’s life) to employ them in the siege.

God tells Israel that even in war, there must be restraint.
When the siege is long and the battle intense, do not swing your axe wildly. Why? Because the very tree you cut down might have fed you tomorrow.

That is stunning.

Even in conflict, God protects fruit.

We are in a real battle. Paul says so elsewhere. There is warfare against the flesh, against deception, against darkness. But here is the danger. When you live in battle mode too long, everything begins to look like an enemy.

You start chopping.

That church over there.
That ministry.
That brother who sees it differently.

And before long, you have cleared an orchard that could have nourished you.

It is possible to win an argument and starve your soul.

An army that cuts down its own fruit trees may feel powerful for a moment, but it has guaranteed famine. In the same way, a believer who tears down every imperfect thing around him will eventually find he has nothing left that feeds him.

Paul says the fruits of righteousness are by Jesus Christ. They are not manufactured by our sharpness. They are grown by abiding in Him. If Christ is the source, then wherever you see His fruit, even in a place that is not perfect, you do not attack it. You gather from it.

This does not mean compromise. Israel could cut down trees that did not bear fruit. There is a time to remove what is destructive. But fruit trees were protected because they sustained life.

Ask yourself honestly. Have you been swinging an axe lately? Have you labeled everything flawed as useless? Have you allowed a siege mentality to harden your heart?

The glory and praise of God is not seen in barren fields. It is seen in orchards heavy with fruit.

Let Christ fill you. Then you will recognize His fruit wherever it grows. And instead of chopping, you will harvest.

Instead of clearing the field, you will cultivate it.

And God will be praised.