I bought a batch of collards from Thompson’s Market the other day, a huge batch, and my mom and I spent most of the morning trimming and cutting and washing and cooking. Even though they were excellent looking collards, there were some stems and leaves that needed to be removed. After finishing, we cooked the big pot of collards for a while and then had a taste. Absolutely the most tender and flavorful collards we have had for a long, long time.

  Picture yourself (or me) as a bag of collards. The scriptures tell us in John 15:2 that:

  “Every branch (us) in Me (Jesus) that does not bear fruit, He (God) takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may be more fruitful.”

  So, just like there were a very few places in my batch of collards that needed to be trimmed away, there are places in my life that have needed to be trimmed so I can produce more of God’s fruit in my life.

  I need to be less selfish of my time and spend more time in God’s Word. I need to be more (inwardly) tolerant of those whose ideas are different from mine. I need to be truer to my ministerial calling and reach out to those in my church and community who are in need. I need to be more frugal with my money about buying frivolously and being sure that what I do spend is for some good. I need to spend more time on my music and concentrate on using it for God’s purpose in my gift and for my own benefit after that.

  Now, I ask, what about you? Are there some raggedy collards in your life you need to trim away? In these days of pandemic and sheltering in place, what can you do to help a neighbor or friend? Obviously, telephone calls are great … so are frequent greeting cards, emails, texts, and putting some snacks on the front porch. You will bear much more fruit if you help others. Can you spend more time reading your Bible, devotionals, and other edifying books rather than spending so much time watching television (finger pointing to Jimmy)? In these days of illness, crime, politics, and more, watching too much television (and especially) the news can really bring you down and your “leaves” become more and more ragged with anxiety, fear, grumpiness, and sadness. There is so much you can do from your sheltered life in house to trim out the bad stuff and become a tender branch.

  Our collards turned out splendidly after culling out a few stalks and bad leaves. So tender and tasty to the mouth. So much so, that I wondered how much tender and tasty my example of life would be to others if I kept down the bad parts of my leaves. That is what I am going to be working on these next few weeks. I want to be a more tender and pleasurable person to be around and that can only be accomplished by improving my relationship with God. I encourage you to do the same during these weeks. After all, who wants to be a bad batch of collards when a good batch is within your control?

  And for today my friends, this has been the gospel according to Jimmy.

  Jimmy Cochran is a resident of McDonough, a musician, a minister and the author of Being God’s and Staying God’s, both available at Amazon.com. Being God’s is also available at Moye’s Pharmacy in McDonough.