Real Hope: Fruit of the SpiritSample

Drop Your Fruit

Have you ever wondered why they’re called the ‘fruit’ of the spirit? Why not ‘rewards’ or ‘benefits’ or ‘traits’? I think they’re called ‘fruit’ because fruit has a time of seeding, growth, and harvest. 

We develop fruit in our own lives as we build a relationship with the Holy Spirit. As we dig into the Word of God, follow His prompts in our lives, and seek to become more like Jesus, those fruit are planted in our lives and watered through our continued devotion to Christ.

At some point then, that fruit will get pretty plump. We’ll be ripe with love, joy, and gentleness – glowing in kindness and marked by self-control. 

Is that all just so we look like a really nice person? No. Our ripe fruit contains seeds to plant into the lives of others. 

That ‘love’ you’ve grown is meant to spur you on to acts of love in the lives of others. Could that be encouraging someone who is feeling down? Helping mind the kids of a neighbor you know is really overwhelmed right now?

Whatever the fruit is you’re seeing grow in your life, use it to sow into others. When you do, it’s a divine deposit that will help it grow in them too.

written by LAURA BENNETT