Written by Pastor Jack Wellman– Galatians 5:22
The Fruit of Love
The most important fruit of the Spirit of God comes first, and it is the Spirit’s bearing the love of God in us. We can’t take credit for this because the Apostle John reminds us that “We love because he first loved us” (1st John 4:19). We bear godly fruit like love when we are abiding in Christ (John 15:1-6).
The Fruit of Joy
It’s hard to be around someone who’s lost all of their joy. It can be very draining, but that person has lost something. The Bible says “The joy of the Lord is my strength” (Neh 8:10; Psalm 28:7-8). We need all the strength we can get, so try to rejoice in the Lord, because that’s going to strengthen your worship, your life, and your witness before others. By the way, joy is contagious.
The Fruit of Peace
I remember trying to calm down an argument between two co-workers, and a friend told me that I was being a “peacemaker.” He reminded me that Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons (and daughters) of God” (Matt 5:8). I didn’t realize it at the time, but my friend’s right. One of the fruits of the Spirit is that of peace and being a peacemaker is a great way to spread that peace.
The Fruit of Patience
People can look up to a Christian at work, but when they lose their patience, the Christian can lose his or her witness for Christ. If we’re snapping at people, losing our temper, and saying words we’ll later regret, we’re grieving the Holy Spirit of God, because He desires patience in us, and God desires we show patience toward others. Remember, God has been patient with us.
The Fruit of Kindness
It’s easy to show kindness. You can show it by bringing someone a cup of coffee, buying their lunch as a surprise, or even holding the door open for someone or saying thank you. These small gestures can mean a lot to someone. You can “pay it forward” by showing kindness to others, and kindness is contagious too.
The Fruit of Goodness
Almost everything that’s good is not popular, and everything that’s popular usually isn’t good, so we should let our goodness shine before others and show the world what “goodness” really is. We should do good things that God has prepared for us to do, as it says in His Word (Eph 2:10), and even though we’re not saved by works, we’re saved to do works…and all for His glory, because God is always good…all the time!
The Fruit of Faithfulness
There is an acronym that I love about Christians and it’s called FAT. God desires people that are Faithful, people that are Available, and people that are Teachable. When Jesus returns, He won’t say, “Great Job, you heard 3,485 sermons, you attended 3,357 Sunday school classes, and you had perfect attendance one year.” No, Jesus will return to His own and say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master” (Matt 25:21).
Conclusion
I pray these fruits of the Holy Spirit are evident in your life because these fruits can attract others to the True Vine Who is Jesus Christ. May those who don’t yet know you Christ, come to seek You and to worship You as they place their trust in You.
