The Good Tree
In October 1913, Henry Ford introduced the moving assembly line, cutting the time it took his factory workers to assemble a car from 12.5 hours to 93 minutes. His factory's efficiency helped the Model T become "the best-selling car in the world." But the concept of squeezing out productivity didn't stay in the automotive world. Eventually, it changed how we think about our faith.
I love trees. Growing up, I hiked with my Boy Scout troop through the Appalachian Mountains in Georgia. In late fall, I would marvel at the bright red leaves of the northern red oaks and the golden hickory leaves. The trails were covered in leaves and acorns that made a satisfying crunch under our boots. But the fireworks of fall foliage don't last. Before long, the forests are bare, their branches storing their strength through winter until new buds emerge in spring. In Psalm 1, the good tree bears its fruit in its season. You can't go apple picking in north Georgia whenever you want; you have to wait until August. A haunting aphorism tells us, "The grass is greener on the other side." If we could change our circumstances, then we would be happy. There's an acorn of truth in it; there's nothing wrong with seeking a better environment. The Hebrew word for "planted" suggests that someone deliberately put this tree next to a flowing stream so that it could flourish. Psalm 1:2 tells us the water is God's instruction. Even better, Jesus offered himself as living water, not beside us but within us (John 4:13-14, 7:37-38). When we are nourished by his living water, we thrive. The Psalmist promises us "whatever he does prospers." I've heard this proclaimed as a promise and I've experienced this interpretation as a lie. I've done many things for God that didn't work out. They failed. Now I call this view "prosperity discipleship." It's assembly-line faith: provide the inputs and get guaranteed results. If you do what God wants, then God will bless you with a fulfilling marriage, successful kids, immunity to cancer, and a golden retirement. But what do the righteous want to prosper? They want to become fully human, walking in God's ways and living in fellowship with God. Jesus told his disciples, "You did not choose me, but I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you" (John 15:16). The righteous are like good trees—rooted in God's presence, fruitful in God's timing, and bearing fruit that nourishes others.
If you drew a picture of following Jesus, what would it look like?
How has "assembly line faith" distorted your view of how God works?
How does God's promise to prosper you—understood correctly—encourage you?
Pray, "God, thank you for planting me in your presence. Release me from the burden of trying to be constantly productive for you. Help me to trust your timing as you make me like Jesus."
Sources:
Georgette Green, "Ford Implements the Moving Assembly Line", This Month in Business History, Library of Congress.
Nancy deClaissé-Walford, Rolf A. Jacobson, and Beth LaNeel Tanner, The Book of Psalms, New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Eerdmans, 2014).