Galatians 5:22-24 New King James Version (NKJV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 [a]gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Before a plant brings forth fruit, there has to be a process. You don’t plant a seed today and tomorrow you reap the fruit, the fruit is as a result of a process, a relationship that has been happening over time, it is the offspring of some hard-tending work.
The same applies to the fruit of the Spirit. When you and I allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives then the result is the fruit that is mentioned in our key scriptures today. Meaning, if the said fruit is absent, then there is something wrong in your relationship with the Spirit.
Right before this Paul talks about the works of the flesh and he gives quite a list of the “fruit” to expect in our lives if we fail to yield to the Spirit and instead yield to the flesh because you cannot yield to both at the same time.
Our lives are like a garden and what we yield to, the Spirit or the flesh will determine what kind of fruit we bring forth. Just like in the natural, the fruit gets to be enjoyed by others and not necessarily the tree itself. Looking closely at the fruit of the Spirit you recognize that these traits have to do mostly with how we relate with others. They get to benefit from the love and the joy, the long-suffering and the patience.
This tells me that how we relate to others is important to God, so important because we are a reflection of Him and when we become His and allow the Holy Spirit to work in us, he begins a process that changes our character and how we relate to others by birthing the fruit and character of God in us.
You and I must understand that just as in the natural, this is an on going process and the more we allow Him to work in our lives, the more the fruit grows and becomes evident to those we interact with. If the fruit is not that evident in your life right now, don’t beat yourself down, continue to walk with the Spirit of God allowing Him to mound you and to change you from the inside out.
Reflective Thoughts
Read Galatians 5:16-22 What are some of the things mentioned in this verses that provoke your thoughts regarding your lifestyle?
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Which is more evident in your life, the fruit of the Spirit or the works of the flesh?
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“Walk in the Spirit then you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh” How can you better walk in the Spirit?
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