Checking my fruit
Galatians 6:1-5
1 Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. 2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. 3 If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.
4 Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. 5 For we are each responsible for our own conduct.
At the end of chapter 5 Paul has just described in detail the fruit of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life. At the beginning of chapter 6 Paul reminds me that I am to look at myself to see if that fruit indeed exists in my own life. Like a chemist, I am to study the material carefully to assess its composition. Although it is easier for me to compare myself to others, I must look for the fruit described in chapter 5 – love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Seeing these fruit in my life allows my heart to be confident that I indeed belong to Jesus.
My God, if I see fruit missing and sin in their place, restore me gently. May my family in Christ direct me again in the way of truth and show me your boundless grace. Your grace is the Rock on which I find refuge from the raging waters of sin. Your Grace is the platform from which I am restored. God allow me to restore others with that same grace and love. Amen
Written by Andrew Mellor