Paul’s letter to the Galatians lists these fruits: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Nine incredible ways to know that God is at work in our lives. First of all, they are fruits that God produces as a result of our surrendered lives to him. They come from him and are a part of him. Love is what God has shown to each of us. He helps us love others. It’s not hard to love people who are nice to us, but it is difficult to love the unlovely. This fruit loves unconditionally. The next fruit is joy. God gives us the ability to have joy in the middle of sorrow. It’s a joy that comes from the Lord, and it gives us strength to endure trials as Jesus did. Joy enables us to enjoy our lives with those around us. It comes from God, and the world can’t take it away from us. When this fruit is evident, we are free from the anxieties of life because of the wonderful peace God has placed within our hearts. Next comes patience. We are, by default, impatient, especially with others. When this fruit is present, we demonstrate patience with others. Only God can give us that noble quality.
The
next is gentleness, which is power under control. Jesus was so gentle with
bruised hearts and spirits that were barely flickering with life. His words and
actions conveyed kindness and gentleness. Kindness, another fruit, flows out of
a gentle spirit. With a gentle spirit and kind words, we enrich the lives of
people around us. Next is goodness, which is what is on the inside of us. It is
what makes up our character. Integrity is not what we do, so much as who we
are. It determines what we do, and it becomes the navigation system that guides
us. Next is faithfulness or trustworthiness. Faithfulness determines how
reliable we are. When you are working and living among faithful people, you
grow rather than shrivel up around unreliable people. Another aspect of
gentleness and faithfulness is humility. Gentle and faithful people are always
humble. Peter described humility as “the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet
spirit” (1 Peter 3:3-4). Lastly, there is self-control; this is really the
vehicle in which all the other fruits are transported to others. Without
self-control, we have no patience, no love, no joy, no peace, or any other
fruit. Solomon said this: “Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who
controls his temper than one who takes a city” (Prov. 16:32). Self-control
demonstrates the Spirit of Christ in our lives, and it enables us to choose
God’s will over our own will.
