Galatians 5:22-23

Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control

The fruit is what is being produced. A tree produces fruit in the form of an apple or peach and a field produces fruit in wheat and grain. If a tree or plant is infected or damaged, the fruit it produces will be infected as well or fail to produce completely. But if the tree or plant is healthy and good, it produces a bountiful crop. We are similar to these plants. If we are good inside, then we will be destined to produce a good crop…we will be destined to do good works. But if we are knotted up inside with darkness and sin, then the crop we produce will reflect that same darkness. When we have the Holy Spirit in our lives, we have been blessed with the “tools” to produce a good crop. When we are baptized, the Holy Spirit becomes a part of our being…we are transformed into creatures bound for serving the Lord. And when we follow the prompts of the Spirit, the crop is good. But unlike a plant, we have free will...we have the ability to choose the path that we take. When we choose a path of sin, we fail at producing good fruit because we deny the influence of the Spirit…we deny the direction that Lord provides and we choose our own path. And when that happens, the “fruit” that we produce comes out looking like a mess…it’s rotten and unfit. Instead of producing peace, love, and kindness…fruits of the Holy Spirit…we produce anger, strife, and conflict. So how do we ensure a good crop? How do we better align with producing a bountiful crop instead of one that is a bust? The key…constant exposure to God’s Word…constant “refreshing” of our minds to God’s instruction, his mercy, his love, and his grace. This doesn’t mean that disciplined exposure to God’s path is somehow going to make everything smooth in our lives. In fact, some stuff might get more difficult as we are moved to “clean out” some junk. But it will help us in producing the righteous fruit of the Spirit…it will fortify us to resist sin and resist that temptation to produce the dreaded rotten fruit. May we seek the Lord’s counsel each day…may we eagerly welcome his instruction, discipline, and reform. And in the end, the Spirit will produce a bountiful crop through our lives that we can smile about. To God alone be the glory!