For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thornbushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles.

Luke 6:44

A couple of days ago, I had a conversation with a friend about vindication. She was upset because she had been in a job that she loved, only to be steamrolled and bullied by the person that was in charge. She described how she had brought all of her gifts and talents with her into the position, and how this person had cut her off at the feet, no longer allowing her to do the job that she was hired to do. They wanted all the credit for her work, and soon thereafter, my friend decided to leave. But she was unsettled, wanting vindication for what she perceived was stolen from her.

I asked her what happened with everything she had planned and executed in her old job. She described the environment as falling apart, vendors no longer wanting to do business over there, and people who were uneasy about working with the person in charge. That’s when I turned to her and told her that she had already been vindicated by God. I said to her,

You took your gifts with you

In today’s gospel, Jesus tells us that we are known individually and this is the way that we are held to account. We each have individual gifts and talents that are uniquely ours. In order to follow in the footsteps of the Master, we must use those gifts and talents in word, action, and deed. We cannot stand on the shoulders of someone else’s gift.

Our fruit is our own and speaks for itself. People can see the goodness of God in it or be jealous of it. In the situation with my friend, her boss tried to steal it, believing that she could pawn it off as her own.

But as the scripture says, nobody picks figs from thornbushes

No matter where we go, we take our giftings with us and nobody can take that away from us. As we are each designed so uniquely by our Creator, no human can take from us the irrevocable call of God that is on our lives. This truth needs to shine brightly in our minds when we are being taken advantage of, being put down, or chastised for who God made us to be.

No human has the authority to usurp the gifts that God gave us

So today as you reflect on your own struggles, know that no man can take away the gifts and talents that God has given to you. As Jesus told us,

“An evil person out of a store of evil produces evil.” Luke 6:45