Spirit Fruit

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Against such things there is no law. ~ Galatians 5:22-23

I love fruit, all of it!  Apples, bananas, berries, peaches, plums, nectarines, grapes - you name it, I like almost all of it.  Fruit is naturally sweet and delicious and good for your body.  Well, the fruit of the spirit is sweet, delicious, good for your soul and great to share.  In Galatians 5:19-21, Apostle Paul lays out what are the obvious acts of the flesh; which tend to be very stinky, destructive and unpleasant. “The acts of the flesh are obvious:  sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies and the like. I warn you as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”  They are not called fruit, but instead “acts”; they are unsavory behaviors.  What about that list is delicious?  Sweet?  Good for you?  For most of us, our fleshly desires come naturally to us without much thought because we are all born sinful and have to choose to intentionally nurture the fruit of the spirit once we become followers of Jesus.  We are called to give up the selfish lifestyle and lead a servant lifestyle.  I have to cultivate my relationship with Jesus and seek His face so that the Holy Spirit can cultivate and grow my spiritual fruit so that I may be the best representation of Jesus I can be.  I want to represent these life giving qualities instead of representing destruction and self-centeredness.  Furthermore, if I claim to be a follower of Jesus and if I am letting the Holy Spirit lead my life, then I had better see the fruit of the spirit flow; otherwise there must be a disconnect.  For the fruit of the spirit is evidence of our connection to Jesus.  John 15:5 states this clearly, “I am the vine; you are the branches.  If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”  Jesus longs for this connection and he wants to leave the Holy Spirit with you so that you may experience this good fruit.  So stay connected, let the Holy Spirit lead you, pray for growth and be intentional about following Jesus and in no time, you will reap a great harvest. ~ Amen