Think you’re just an apple in a basket, waiting to be picked or discarded? Wrong. You’re an orchard in disguise, brimming with potential that could feed nations, change lives, and alter the course of history—if you’d just wake up to it.

I recently heard the line Within every apple there’s an orchard. I did not come up with this and its origin is unknown, but I feel there’s power in this thinking. This isn’t just a feel-good quote to throw on social media and forget. It’s a battle cry, a declaration of war against mediocrity, and a direct challenge to the excuses you’ve been feeding yourself for too long.

The Apple Mindset

Too many people are stuck in the “apple” mindset. You know the type. They see themselves as small, ordinary, just trying to get by without making too much noise. They’ve bought into the lie that they’re just one in a million—replaceable, forgettable, insignificant.

But here’s the truth: you’re not just an apple. Inside you is the seed of something far greater. You have the power to grow, to expand, to become an orchard—a force of nature that can produce fruit for generations to come. The potential within you is limitless, but it’s useless unless you recognize it and do something about it.

We can’t stop there either. If you’re a Christian, this concept hits even closer to home. Within every Christian, there isn’t just potential for personal growth—there’s the potential to build a whole community of faith. Just like the orchard in the apple, there’s a church, a body of believers, a thriving community within you waiting to be cultivated.

Too many Christians walk around with a small vision, thinking that faith is a private matter, something personal and contained. We treat ministry like it’s something we can hire someone else to do for us. But the truth is, Christianity is meant to be lived out…in community…by everyone! Your faith isn’t just about you; it’s about the people where you live, work, and play.

Your faith isn’t meant to stay locked in the walls of your heart or the pews of a church. It’s meant to grow, to spread, to multiply. Just like an orchard starts with one apple, a thriving community of faith starts with one believer—one person willing to plant seeds of love, kindness, and truth in the lives of others.

Stop Settling

The problem is, most people settle for the apple when they could have the whole orchard. They settle for a paycheck when they could have financial freedom. They settle for good when they could have great. Why? Because they’re scared? Because they don’t believe in themselves? Because they’ve been conditioned to think small.

You need to start thinking like the orchard, not the apple. The orchard doesn’t just survive—it thrives. It doesn’t just exist—it expands. It takes up space, it demands attention, and it produces more than enough. The orchard is the picture of abundance, and that abundance is within your reach. It’s easy to see the limits of scarcity but Jesus took our scarcity and showed how abundant it truly was.

How to Cultivate Your Orchard and Your Community

I know I poke holes in status quo a lot on here. So here are some practical steps for shifting that focus. How do you tap into this orchard within you? How do you break free from the apple mindset and start living up to your true potential—both in your personal life and as a follower of Jesus? Here are a few thoughts:

  1. Imagination: First, you need to see the orchard. You need to believe that there’s more to you than what meets the eye. You need to imagine what life could be if you stopped settling and started striving. As a follower of Jesus, you need to see the community within you and believe that your faith can impact others.
  2. Farming Framework: Understand that the orchard doesn’t appear overnight. It takes time, effort, and patience. But it all starts with the seed—your potential. Nurture it, protect it, and watch it grow. In the same way, start small in your own circle—share your faith, serve others, and watch as your impact multiplies. Look at the relationships that already exist in your life. Why do you think God put those people here at this moment?
  3. Nike: Stop waiting for the perfect moment, the perfect opportunity, or the perfect conditions. Just Do It! Start planting today. Take action, no matter how small, toward your goals. Every seed you plant today is a tree that will bear fruit tomorrow. Don’t just attend church—be the church. Get involved, serve, and lead. Move from observing the faith in others and start owning the faith in you.
  4. Perseverance: Don’t give up when things get tough. Orchards face storms, droughts, and pests, but they survive because they are deeply rooted. Be resilient. Stay the course. In your faith, hold on to God’s promises and continue to sow seeds of righteousness, even when it’s hard.
  5. Harvest: Finally, don’t be afraid to reap the rewards of your hard work. When your orchard starts to bear fruit, don’t apologize for success. Share it, enjoy it, and let it inspire others to cultivate their own. As a Christian, celebrate the growth of your community and continue to foster the faith in others. Raise up new leaders and begin leaving a legacy of discipleship for those that will come after you.

You can sit there and let life pass you by, or you can realize that you’re carrying an orchard within you. You can choose to stay small, or you can unleash the abundance that’s been inside you all along.

Don’t let another day go by without tapping into your true potential. Don’t waste another minute thinking you’re just an apple when you could be so much more. The world needs your orchard—it needs what only you can provide.

And as a Christian, remember that your faith is the seed of something far greater. It’s the foundation of a community, a church, a movement. It’s time to stop thinking small and start cultivating the orchard within you.

Within every apple there’s an orchard. It’s time you start believing it.