Fruit for today
Galatians 5:22-26
22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. 26 Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.
I have the image of myself as a fruit tree, and these variously named fruits as ripe and ready to be plucked from me. I am encouraged to have such a relationship with God, that I know the Spirit of God in me has a ready supply of all these fruits for everyday and every encounter with those around me.
I imagine every exchange today as a fruit exchange. I walk into the situation, ready with the fruits for any occasion. For God’s Spirit makes me ready. And then I follow His leading, discerning the situation and supplying the right fruit accordingly. I have a student who is very discouraged – I bring the fruits of love, faith, and kindness to him and his situation. I have a teacher who is a bit rough around the edges – I bring the fruits of gentleness, patience, and love to her situation.
This passage helps me see that the Spirit of God in me gives me fruit that readies me for every situation I face in the day. And I love that this fruit is the kind against which there is no law. There are no laws of man or God that legislate against bringing and good measure of love, faith, and kindness to a person or situation. There are no restrictions in my workplace that can stop the fruit of gentleness, patience and love being imparted into a life or situation.
God, I am very encouraged that your Gospel is not bound, precisely because the fruit of your Spirit is what this world needs and would not in its right mind ever legislate against. And I am also encouraged to see myself as “armed and dangerous” – multiple fruits at the ready for any given situation this day.
Written by Ps. Rob Waugh