Galatians 5:22-23 (New International Version)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
In yesterday’s blog, we looked at how inside of us there is a battle raging between our “Flesh Man” and our “Spirit Man.” There, we saw that we should feed our Spirit more than our flesh so that He will win out and our lives will be lived according to God’s plan for us. However, as you read my comments, you may have been asking “How do we know when the Spirit is truly winning and when we are living by the Spirit?” Well, I’m glad you asked.
Many times the Bible and more specifically Jesus uses the illustration of trees and other plants to show us how being “alive in Christ” should look. In doing this, we see that those plants/trees that are the healthiest are producing fruit. In other words, if the tree has deep roots, has been watered, and has spent enough time in the light, it will produce more fruit than a tree with shallow roots that has dried up and has lived its life in the darkness.
As with trees, our lives are very much the same. When we feed our Spirits with the water of God’s Word and we bask in the light of His Son, this creates roots in us that are deep enough to withstand the storms of life. And when all of these elements are in place, the Bible tells us that we should be producing “fruit.”
So, how do we know that we are living by the Spirit? Our lives will produce fruit. No, not apples and oranges, but the exact things that Paul lists here for the Galatians. This Scripture is so rich that we could literally spend the next 25 days on it alone. However, I will spare you the verbose version and just cut right to the point. If you are living by the Spirit, then your life should be full of “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”
One more thing, notice that the verses say the word ‘and’. Even though you can have some and not others at any given moment, the goal should be to have ALL of these. So, the question to ask yourself is “Does my life have any AND all of these?” “If someone who doesn’t know me well were to have a conversation with me, would they see these exhibited?”
Which of these are easiest for you? Is it joy or perhaps peace? Maybe its kindness. Whichever one it is, take a moment and thank God for it! And pray that He will help it to continue in your life…maybe in a bigger way.
Which one is the hardest for you? For me it’s either peace or self-control. My mind is always at work – it almost never takes a rest. And I’m a worrier. So, with the combination of those two things, it’s difficult for me to find true peace in my life. But, I also indulge too much…mostly with food and snacks. I don’t know when to say enough. Even when my acid reflux is kicking in, it’s not enough to make me stop. So, self-control is also a struggle. How about for you?
So, today pray that God will help you to have an honest evaluation of these nine fruits of the Spirit in your own life. Ask Him to shed light on the area(s) that you most need help in. Pray that you will have the strength and resolve to take care of your tree (you) so that the Spirit within you will bear fruit that this entire world will see. Finally, thank Him that his mercies are new everyday and those things you didn’t necessarily show today – thank Him that you will have another opportunity to bear them tomorrow.
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