Good Things Take Time: Cultivating a Fruitful Life
In New Zealand, there was always one non-negotiable in our fridge: Mainland cheese. Thick, creamy, unapologetically rich — it wasn’t just cheese, it was a taste of home. It made the simplest cracker elevated and transformed any old sandwich. When we moved from New Zealand to the U.S., on every trip back to Kiwiland, we became strategic packers — carefully calculating suitcase space to make sure we could bring back a block (or two) of Mainland. Clothes were optional. Cheese was not.
What I’ve always loved most about Mainland is their slogan: “Good things take time.” They don’t rush the process. They wait. They allow the cheese to mature, to develop character, to become what it’s meant to be. They trust the timing. And that truth stretches far beyond the dairy aisle.
The best things in life — growth, healing, wisdom, relationships, faith — cannot be hurried. They require patience. They require waiting. They require trusting that the process is doing something beneath the surface, even when we can’t yet see it.
Just like good cheese, good things take time. The same is true for our spiritual journeys. But we live in a world of instants… …instant Pot meals. …instant downloads. …instant streaming. …instant messaging. …next-day delivery. …drive-thru everything. …one-click purchases. …30-second reels.
We have been conditioned to expect speed, efficiency, and immediate results. If it buffers, we’re frustrated. If it delays, we complain. If it takes time, we question whether it’s worth it. And if we are honest with ourselves, we sometimes carry that same expectation into our faith.
We want…
…instant maturity.
…instant breakthrough.
…instant healing.
…instant answers.
…instant clarity.
…instant spiritual growth.
We want fruit without seasons. Strength without pruning. Depth without waiting.
But Jesus never promised instant fruit — He promised abiding fruit. Spiritual growth is not microwaved. It is cultivated. It takes time.
In John 15:1–4, Jesus shows us how to cultivate a fruitful life:
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”
What I have come to learn is this: as a branch, I cannot produce fruit — I can only bear it. A branch does not strive. It does not panic. It does not strain. It simply abides. A branch cannot produce fruit — it can only bear it.
So how does a branch bear fruit?
…not through stress.
…not through worry.
…not through frantic activity.
…the branch simply abides.
The life of the branch is completely dependent on the vine. The sap — the nutrients — the life itself — begins in the roots, flows through the vine, and reaches the branches. The branch’s role is not to manufacture fruit, but to remain connected. Fruit is the natural result of connection.
True branches abide in Jesus. They remain connected to Him, drawing their life, strength, and nourishment from Him daily. They do not drift in and out when the going gets tough. It is a daily decision to remain connected to him. Because they abide, they bear fruit for the Kingdom. Their lives begin to reflect His character. Love grows, patience deepens, faith strengthens, perseverance prevails, and obedience becomes evident. The fruit is not manufactured through effort but produced through connection.
So friend, let me gently ask you — how is your connection to Jesus right now?
A true branch does not strive to just appear fruitful — it stays connected to the Vine, and fruit becomes the natural result. Yet in ministry, the temptation is to always look fruitful to others. We are in ministry, so shouldn’t we have it all together spiritually - right? We can learn how to speak the language, say the right verses, show up, lead, smile, preach, and post, but while everything on the outside looks healthy, something on the inside feels dry.
We can create a sense of growth while we quietly walk through dark or hard seasons of our lives. We can convince others that we are thriving while, internally, we feel distant, tired, or spiritually numb. We need to understand that pretending is not the same as abiding. Jesus never asked branches to perform. He asked them to remain.
In this life, we will all experience seasons of winter, seasons of pruning, seasons with little fruit, and seasons with no fruit. It is okay to acknowledge those seasons. We must be honest with ourselves, and with Jesus, because honesty is what keeps us connected to the Vine. Through it all — the call remains the same: Abide. Abide when you feel strong and abide when you feel empty. Abide when prayers are powerful and abide when they feel quiet.
Fruit is not sustained by image. It is sustained by connection. The goal is not to look like a healthy branch, rather it is to stay attached to the Vine — especially when life feels hard.
May you come to know that even in the dark seasons, the sap is still flowing.
Even in pruning seasons, the Gardener is still working.
Even when you cannot see fruit, God is still forming it.
Stay connected. In time, what is real will grow.
After all, good things take time.
