The Fruit of the Spirit

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Galatians 5:22-23.

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

In “Jesus speak” we call this the fruit of the spirit...

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The Bible says these things should be the product of the Holy Spirit working in our lives.  It's like Paul is saying - Let go of the bad stuff and do this stuff instead.  ​

I have an opinion about the fruit of the spirit. ​

 I’m not sure about you, but for me some of them need to be exercised a little more.  Please don't misunderstand me, the Bible is correct.  The Holy Spirit has put these things inside of me in a way that they never were before I had a relationship with Christ, but I think we have some responsibility here, too.

When I was younger I thought they were some sort of magical spell that would just “poof” and then it would happen. Think:  Disney movie.  Imagine being suddenly patient at the right time.  Or never tempted because my self control is rock-steady.  ​

Wouldn't that be nice?  I had a lot to learn.

The reality for me is that they are more like CLEANING SUPPLIES. ​

​I can go to the store and come home with 3 or 4 bottles of things every week that clean better, sanitize, scrub, freshen, and polish everything.  I love buying cleaning supplies, don't you?  I have shelves full of them and they should be handy to have around.  

But guess what?  On Saturday afternoon when I should be using them, its easier to find something else to do. And then one day I walk into a room and see my mess and I think “oh yeah…”  The truth is that I never took the product off the shelf and gave it a chance to do what it was designed to do.  The magic in that eraser requires some elbow grease.​

In the same way the Holy Spirit has given us this “stuff” in that list.  But if we leave it sitting on the shelf, it’s not going to just show up!  Let's keep reading.  The next verses, v25, says “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”  The previous verses were there to remind us of what is on the shelf.   The next ones are saying we are responsible for using what we've been given.

​Personally, I need daily reminders to practice these things.  As I remember to pull those items off the shelf more often, I will remember how to use them in the opportunities that I need them in. 

So here's the challenge:  Pick one.  Choose love today.  Practice it and sprinkle it on everything.  When you are ready, add another.  ​

One final thought:  Be careful asking specifically for these things in prayer.  Asking for patience will most certainly give you opportunities to be patient, and that might not be what you were expecting!  I believe in the power of prayer and I believe that words have meaning.   Instead, I often pray for the Holy Spirit to remind me of what tool I have that I can use for the place I am at right now.  

Which fruit do you have the hardest time remembering to pull out?

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