Galatians 5:22-26 – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 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. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”  NKJV

Let me get in hot water at the outset and ask, “If someone were observing your life and asked to describe your characteristics, attributes or fruit what would they list?”  I would hope they would list some of the items above in describing me but that might depend on what day they were asked.  Am I confessing to inconsistency?  I guess I am.  Am I admitting that I am human?  Well I guess I am.  Am I admitting that I exhibit more carnality than spirituality at times?  Sadly, I guess I am.  However, like Paul said in Philippians 3:14 I am pressing toward the mark. I am not there but trying to keep my ship of life headed that direction.

What would those who know you say if over time you began to consistently (and you may) the items listed in the text passage?  How would it impact your co-workers, business associates, neighbors, and the lost you encounter?  Most of us who have received the Lord Jesus as our personal savior desire that the ‘fruit of the Spirit’ be manifest in our lives consistently and are saddened when we fall short regardless of the situation.  Some have found that allowing areas of small discretion over time have allowed insulation in our conscience so that we are not as deeply touched when we fall short as we should and that is dangerous.

The fruit that the Living Lord through the Holy Spirit demonstrates in a life He indwells is love.  We are explicitly told in the Bible that one of the ways we know we are saved is that we ‘love the brethren’ that we ‘love one another.’  We often justify this or that in our lack of love but I would suggest that God is not buying it and we know it is not right.

Joy is contagious and at times infuriating.  I had a person tell me once ‘cheer down’ a bit you do not have that much to be happy about.  Walking in ‘peace’ is such a secure place for it allows you to think clearly, listen carefully, and act rationally.  Being patient is something that we learn through complete reliance on our Lord.  We are naturally impatient people and our present world is a ‘microwave world’ where we want everything yesterday.  I have internet that is ‘high speed’ and while it is lightning fast in comparison to the old dial up I still find myself complaining that it is ‘too slow’.  Imagine what it would be like if I had to go to the library and actually dig through volumes to find the answers.  SLOW?  My grandmother told me once, ‘kindness costs nothing but being unkind much.’  Goodness (integrity, honesty) is a quality that will bring favor and respect.  When I read the word ‘faithfulness’ I immediately think of the people who have most influenced my life and the common characteristic has been their ‘faithfulness’ in all things and at all times.   They exhibited the heart of Jesus and where could we find one as faithful as He.  Are we ‘gentle’ and I contend that one can be so without being ‘weak.’  In our modern world this next fruit is vanishing rapidly – ‘self-control’.   Paul tells us that ‘against such there is no law’.  He tells us that if we are ‘in Christ’ we allow the flesh to be crucified and replaced with the heart of our Lord producing in us the Fruit of the Spirit.

As we allow the Holy Spirit to manifest Jesus in our lives and walk in the Spirit we will find it a preventative for conceit, jealousy, envy, gossip, division, and will enable us to encourage and motivate one another to press toward the mark.

May God be with you as you go through your day!