Fresh Fruit

What’s your favorite fruit? How about a juicy Georgia peach, a cluster of green grapes, or some fresh-picked strawberries? (I like my strawberries dipped in chocolate, thank you!) Think about where fruit comes from. It is not manufactured. There are no grapefruit factories or blueberry assembly plants. Fruit comes from a life process. Left to ourselves, what we “manufacture” is obvious: not such good stuff. The “works of the flesh” (or sin) are ugly, destructive, and damaging to our relationships with God and others. The fruit of the Spirit, on the other hand, although equally obvious, is quite different from what we produce on our own. When we know Jesus and set our minds on things of the Holy Spirit, He begins to dominate our thoughts and actions, producing the fruit of the Spirit: LOVE: caring for others the way God cares for us. JOY: finding contentment in Christ in spite of how crazy our circumstances might be. PEACE: seeking harmony and reconciliation instead of drama and conflict. PATIENCE: taking a deep breath and giving others (and ourselves!) a break. KINDNESS: responding without harshness or being short-tempered. GOODNESS: looking for what’s excellent in people and circumstances. FAITHFULNESS: being dependable. GENTLENESS: managing responsibility without dominating others. SELF-CONTROL: living a disciplined life rather than being self indulgent and out of control. The fruit of the Spirit is the result of the Holy Spirit working in our lives. In other words, we’re not able to produce it on our own. Just like a garden left to itself will grow lots of weeds, the fruit of the Spirit cannot grow in just any life. The fruit of the Spirit grows in a heart saved and cultivated by Christ. • Jonathan DeCou • Which characteristic of the fruit of the Spirit is most challenging for you? • If you want to learn more about knowing Jesus, check out our “Know Jesus” page! I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh. Galatians 5:16 (CSB)

Read Verses:

Galatians 5:16-25