In a world often consumed by material possessions and external achievements, the importance of the fruits of the Spirit in your daily life cannot be overstated.
While physical achievements may bring temporary satisfaction, it is the fruits of the Spirit that nourish and sustain your inner being. These virtues guide your actions, shape your character, and reflect your true nature.
In this blog post, we will explore the significance of spiritual fruit and why they’re so important in the life of a Christian.
Join us as we embark on a quest to unlock the transformative power of these divine virtues and witness the profound impact they can have on our lives.
Painting A Picture
What’s In Your Cup?
I recently heard a wonderful analogy that perfectly describes what we’re talking about:
Imagine you are holding a cup of coffee, and someone comes along and bumps into you. As a result, you spill your coffee everywhere.
Now, why did you spill your coffee?
You may think, “Well, because someone ran into me, of course!”
Wrong answer. You spilled coffee because coffee was in your cup.
If your cup had been full of fruit salad, for example, that’s what would have come out. Whatever is inside your cup will come out when provoked in some way.
The Secret To A Blessed Life: Understanding Psalm 1
Therefore, when life comes along and shakes you (not if, but when) what is inside of you will come out. It’s easy to pretend you’re carrying refreshing fruit salad until bitter coffee comes pouring out.
So you have to ask yourself…. what’s in my cup?
It’s Not The Hardship’s Fault
When life gets tough, what spills over? Is it the fruits of the Spirit like love, joy, peace, and patience? Or anger, bitterness, harsh words and actions instead?
I think I speak for both of us I say that I’d much rather be overcome with love instead of hate. Patience instead of anger. Joy instead of depression. I want my cup to be full of fruit salad! Or rather, I want to be full of the fruits of the Spirit.
It is important to understand that trials, difficulties, and hardships are not to blame for the reactions they provoke. In other words, conflict does not make you who are you, it merely shows you who you are.
Tweetable Moment:
Conflict does not make you who are you, it merely shows you who you are.
When anger, bitterness, fear, jealousy, etc force themselves out of you, it’s because they already exist on the inside. Please understand that it’s not your spouse’s fault. Nor is your boss, that annoying customer, or the congested traffic the source of your negative reaction.
Remember, when you’re shaken and spill coffee it’s because there was coffee in the cup. In order for the fruits of the Spirit to spill out they have to first be in there!
If you’re unhappy with the reactions that spill over, it’s a good sign that you need a healthy dose of Spiritual fruit! The good news is that the Bible has quite a bit to say about the subject.
Let’s look at a popular story to make the point.
When Conflict Arises
Enter Giant, Stage Right
1 Samuel 17 gives the historical account of David and Goliath. It begins with the armies of Israel on one mountain and the armies of Philistia on an opposite mountain with a valley between them.
Both armies are preparing to rush into the valley with swords drawn when something unexpected happens.
A mountain of a man steps down into the valley floor.
This man, Goliath, is quite literally a giant of a man. According to scripture, he comes in at six cubits and a span. For those keeping record at home, that equals nearly 9 and a half feet tall.
If his size wasn’t intimidating enough, he came with a challenge.
Basically, it went something like this:
“There is no need for many people to die today. I am the representative of my country. I’m their champion. Send down your champion so that we can fight to the death. The losing country will become slaves to the winner.”
Enter The King
Israel doesn’t have a giant like Goliath. But they do have a king. According to scripture, Saul was head and shoulders taller than everyone else. Not a giant, but still quite tall.
In addition, he had the reputation of being the one who would keep Israel safe. Saul was supposed to be the biggest, the strongest, the bravest. But in his mind, fighting Goliath was nothing less than a death sentence.
Here’s what the Bible says:
When Saul and all Israel heard these words from the Philistine, they lost their courage and were terrified.
1 Samuel 17:11 CSB
Saul may have carried a certain reputation, but when the rubber met the road, he couldn’t back it up.
When Saul was shaken something spilled out of his metaphorical cup. It wasn’t bravery, strength, and confidence. No… Instead, something less attractive came pouring out. Weakness, insecurity, fear, and a lack of trust in God.
The Best Bibles For Women In 2023!
Not exactly a picture of fresh fruits of the Spirit.
This is not something Saul was proud of. Proud or not, it’s what was inside him. These character traits are further confirmed in scripture as you continue reading the account of Saul’s life.
He is full of fear, insecurity, jealousy, distrust, and anger. And the worst part… He has almost no confidence that God is worthy to be trusted. He would never say that with his mouth! But his actions say it loud and clear time after time.
Enter The Shepherd
Every day for 40 days Goliath made his way down to the valley floor and shouted his challenge to the armies of Israel. His abrasive voice thundered across the valley and into the mountains. The hearts of Israel’s army sank in their chests.
It just so happened that a father had sons enlisted in Israel’s army. This father, Jesse, grew curious as to how the war was progressing. He was also concerned about the well-being of his sons.
As a result, he called his youngest son from the fields and sent him to bring food to his brothers and check on the situation. This young man, David, was the keeper of the family’s livestock. It was his duty to keep the sheep safe from attacking beasts.
When David arrived in Israel’s camp, he was surprised to see that everyone was full of fear. Then he heard it.
Goliath had stepped into the valley and was issuing his challenge yet again. But this time something different happened. This time David heard the taunts.
David may have only been a youth, but he was full of the right things. Upon hearing the challenge from Goliath, David’s blood began to boil.
“Just who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
1 Samuel 17:26 CSB
You see, David did not come to fight in this battle. He was only a lowly shepherd. His reputation was non-existent. But when conflict arose, and he was shaken, guess what spilled out?
On that day, David’s heart showed itself. David was a warrior. He was bold, confident, and full of faith. It angered him that someone would speak negatively about God and defy Israel’s army. He wondered why no one else had risen to the occasion.
As a result, David volunteered as tribute.
And, as the story goes, David defeated Goliath with a slingshot and the favor of God.
Fruit Salad For The Soul
What Do You Do In The Face Of Conflict?
Both Saul and David were shaken that day. Neither of them expected to face Goliath. As a result of that shaking, they both spilled what was in their proverbial cup. Goliath is not to blame for Saul’s reaction any more than he is for David’s.
In other words, it’s not Goliath’s fault that Saul was full of fear. It’s not Goliath’s fault that David was full of faith. All Goliath did was bring those spiritual fruits to the surface.
The conflict did not make them who they were. It merely showed them who they were.
I wonder what’s in your cup?
How do you respond to conflict and unexpected shaking? Are you full of love, joy, and peace? Do you offer grace when it’s not deserved? Are you so full of patience that it spills out when you’re tested and tried? Are your reactions an example of Christ who lives in you?
Or do your reactions reveal a side that you’re not proud of? Do you find that you’re quick to become angry? Do curse words rush to your tongue? Does anxiety cripple you in the moment? Is your whole day ruined by a single interaction that could have gone differently?
Replacing Bitter Coffee With Sweet Fruit
I have great news for you today!
If you feel that there are some things inside you that you’re not proud of, there is a way to remove them! The answer is Jesus Christ!
Yes, I know that’s a common cliche answer. But, stay with me. I promise I have legitimate advice straight from scripture that will help you on this journey.
It’s like this: You can only be as full of Christ as you are willing to be empty of self.
No container can hold any more than 100% of its capacity. Some are larger or smaller than others, but they still only hold 100%.
Your spiritual life is no different. Think of yourself like a container. Whatever you are full of will spill out when you’re shaken.
If you seek Jesus Christ with your whole heart you will become full of His Spirit. In order to be full of His Spirit, you must be empty of self.
Producing Fruits Of The Spirit
What Are The Fruits Of The Spirit?
All 9 fruits of the Spirit are listed in the 5th chapter of Galatians. They are as follows:
How To Produce Fruits Of The Spirit
Jesus actually speaks directly toward this subject in John 15! If the Son of God has something to say about the subject, then that’s a great place to start!
There are 2 very important things to understand from this passage.
1. You Cannot Produce Spiritual Fruits On Your Own
Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself but must remain in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me.
John 15:4, NASB
In other words, the only way to produce spiritual fruit is to be connected to Christ. Without Him you are unable to produce genuine love, joy, peace, patient, etc. He is the source of those things.
Humans are naturally sinful. We are born with negative traits and tend to lean toward things that oppose the will of God.
If there is anything good in me, it is Christ who lives in me. Period.
2. Those Not Connected To Christ Will Wither And Die
If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown away like a branch and dries up; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
John 15:6, NASB
In the same way a branch draws life from the vine, we too draw life from Christ. If that connection is severed (by choosing to connect yourself to other worldly things instead of Jesus), your spiritual life will wither and die.
If you’re unsure of whether or not you’re connected to Christ, you’re probably not. Abiding in Him daily is not something that happens by accident. It’s a daily decision to choose Him over the things of the flesh.
When you choose to spend your time and mental energy on worldy things, you will find that there are no spiritual fruits being produced. They only come from a life that lives in the presence of God.
The Whole Purpose
It’s More Important Than You Realize
Do you remember your last conflict?
Maybe Goliath wasn’t challenging you to a fist fight, but you’ve had conflicts. Your spouse or child pushed your buttons. That driver pulled right out in front of you. Some customer seems totally ignorant and disrespectful.
In that moment of conflict, when you reacted to it, something spilled out of your metaphorical cup.
The Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
A little bit of what was on the inside showed itself on the outside.
Did patience come spilling out? Did you shower that person with the love of Jesus Christ?
Or did anger burst out? Or maybe it was jealousy, fear, etc.
You see, it’s just not just about how you handle conflict. (Although we should strive to be like Christ in all things!) It’s not about how long or short your fuse is or how you respond to hardship.
The most important thing is: Are You Connected To Christ?
Your response to conflict is only an indicator of how much fruit you’re producing. And the fruit you’re producing is a direct result of whether you’re connected to Christ.
We’re Talking About Eternity
If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown away like a branch and dries up; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
John 15:6, NASB
Jesus said that anyone who is not connected to Christ will be gathered together and thrown into the fire. This a direct reference to the eternal fate of those who fail to remain connected to Him. They will spend eternity in a terrible place called Hell.
All of the sudden the importance of Spiritual fruit just moved to a whole new level! We’re talking about eternity, here!
Final Thoughts
Right now, in this moment, I want you to be honest with yourself.
Are you connected to Christ?
I’m not asking if you’ve been saved in past. I’m not asking if you’re a good person or if you attend church. I am asking if you are living every day in the presence of God.
Jesus is the source of love. He is source of peace, joy, patience, and so much more. He is the source of life and the spiritual fruits that we as Christians should pursue daily.
Are you connected to Christ? Are you producing fruits?
If so, you and everyone around you should notice them. Those who live lives that are centered around the fruits of the Spirit are not like the rest of the world. They love when others can’t. They have joy when others don’t. And they offer patience when others have only frustration.
If you feel the Holy Spirit convicting your heart to reconnect to the Vine, don’t delay! Stop where you are, repent of your sin, and turn toward Jesus.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.