Bless my mother's heart she must have found them on clearance with a minimum purchase of 20 sets because those things were everywhere when I was little.
My 4 year old mind was confused to say the least. Especially when she handed me real grapes to snack on.
Huh? Are these the same ones that have been on the table for years mom?
The other day I was helping my mom do some cleaning out and organizing and we came across those darn grapes. We died laughing over the insane amount of them and what she was thinking?
There's one difference between a fake grape and a real grape. What's inside of it.
A real grape is full of juicy sweetness, a fake grape is full of…well I'm not sure? Plastic? Whatever it is it isn't what grapes are supposed to be full of, I know that much.
And unfortunately the only ways to find out which is real or not is to squeeze it, bite it, put the pressure on. You'll know quickly if it's real or not. A bad experience with someone popping a handful of fake grapes in their mouth only to have a mouth full of plastic can turn someone off from the fruit all together. Best not to risk it again.
The same is true with us as Christians.
We are called to a higher standard, a higher calling-
There's one difference between a fake grape and a real grape. What's inside of it.
A real grape is full of juicy sweetness, a fake grape is full of…well I'm not sure? Plastic? Whatever it is it isn't what grapes are supposed to be full of, I know that much.
And unfortunately the only ways to find out which is real or not is to squeeze it, bite it, put the pressure on. You'll know quickly if it's real or not. A bad experience with someone popping a handful of fake grapes in their mouth only to have a mouth full of plastic can turn someone off from the fruit all together. Best not to risk it again.
The same is true with us as Christians.
We are called to a higher standard, a higher calling-
You will know them by their fruits. (Matthew 7:15)
Refresher on that fruit-
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no such law.
(Galatians 5:22-23)
Just like the way to determine the fake grapes from the real grapes is to put the pressure on them is the way the world will find out how true we are in our beliefs, how real our Jesus is and whether or not He really makes a difference. If we respond in the negative way of our unruly flesh that leaves people with a bad taste of plastic in their mouths they will have no desire to meet the God who saved our lives. That's the harsh reality and the weighty responsibility we have.
So if you stumble upon my purse and find a small fake grape in my purse, you'll know I just really need the reminder. Let's do the hard thing. Be Jesus with skin on to our part of the world we see everyday. He is real. He does make every difference in the world. It's up to us to show them.
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