Banana please… banana please! Those were the first words I heard from the mouth of my four year old this morning. He loves fruit. So does God.
“Be fruitful and multiply…”
“…I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain…”
In our life with Christ, fruit refers to the things our lives produce. What comes out of our lives, mouths, thoughts and attitudes directly reflects where we have planted our roots and what kinds of seeds we have sown.
In Galatians, Paul makes it clear that if we want a life that is full of good fruit, it must come from planting ourselves in the Holy Spirit of God by allowing Him to govern our lives. When your life is purposefully and intentionally surrendered to the Holy Spirit each new day, these are the things that will naturally be produced:
LOVE – Divine infusion of selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional love that goes beyond our natural capacity.
JOY – Divine gladness that surpasses earthly happiness.
PEACE – Divine assurance that surpasses earthly circumstances.
PATIENCE – Divine endurance that overcomes my natural rashness.
KINDNESS – Divine affection that is not dependent on the actions or reactions of
others.
GOODNESS – Divine uprightness of heart that overcomes the temptations of moral
corruption.
FAITHFULNESS – Divine conviction that remains stable in the midst of uncertain and
shifting storms.
GENTLENESS – Divine control of one’s passions and emotions in an inflammatory
moment.
SELF CONTROL – Divine mastery over one’s natural desires and inclinations.
So many times we try to force these things in our life, but remember: Fruit doesn’t come through force but through cultivation. Today, plant your roots deep in the Holy Spirit and watch what He naturally produces in your life.
Galatians 5:22-23 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.