And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, He was hungry: And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, He came, if haply He might find any thing thereon: and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And His disciples heard it. (Mark 11:12-14)
Usually, leaves on a fig tree means there’s fruit on it.
But this fig tree had leaves although it was not yet time for fig trees to bear.
That is, this tree had only an appearance of productivity, but on closer inspection, it bore nothing; it was barren.
In today’s fast paced culture with dizzying motions and movements fueled by social media, how many people have become like this fig tree, having only an appearance of fruitfulness and productivity?
How many people have laid on themselves, the weight of unwarranted and unnecessary expectations at the expense of peace, wellbeing, and, abundant life?
Life is given in times and seasons, and if it’s not time for figs yet, why bother to fill the tree with leaves?
There’s wisdom in properly discerning your times and seasons in order to know what to do.
Refuse to get caught in that vicious, life sapping cycle of only putting up and maintaining appearances; this is freedom — to be true to your own self, and to unapologetically walk the path mapped out for you by your Maker. The world might not understand your purpose and your journey now, but if you keep following the One who knows the way, your story would all come together beautifully in the end in a way that even this same world cannot deny.
So keep going.
Or retrace your steps and come to the only One who can give you the rest and freedom you need to truly live.