Fruit of the Spirit

What do you think is the best way to identify a Christian? Would it be by the way they talk or by their look? It’s neither! We are Christ followers when we have the fruits of the Spirit. The Apostle Paul lists them: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal 5:22-23). Nine incredible ways to know that God is at work in our lives. 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. As this fruit grows, he helps us love others. It’s not hard to love people who are nice to us, but it is difficult to love people who are mean to us. What is so remarkable about this fruit is that it loves unconditionally.

Joy is the fruit that enables us to enjoy life. 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 life with those around us by helping us to be flexible instead of rigid.

Peace is the ability to trust God with all the anxieties of life. How people long for this precious commodity and can’t find it. It comes from God, and the world can’t take it away from us.

Patience is the ability to wait for the right time. We are all by default impatient, especially with others. When this fruit is present, we demonstrate patience with others. Good things do come to those who wait.

Kindness is the quality of being kind and doing kind acts to others. God gives us a kind heart, and kindness flows out of it.

Goodness is what is on the inside of us. It is what makes up our character. It is not what we do, so much as who we are. Goodness is the navigating system that guides us.

Faithfulness determines how reliable we are. When you are living around faithful people, you grow, as opposed to shriveling up around unreliable people.

Gentleness is power under control. It should not be confused with weakness. God is gentle, and to have this fruit is to be like Him. Jesus was so gentle with bruised hearts and spirits that were barely flickering with life (Isa 42:3). His words and actions conveyed kindness and gentleness. Gentle people have an “unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit” (1 Pet 3:3-4).

Self-control is really the basket that holds all the other fruits. Without self-control we have no patience, no love, joy, peace or any other fruit. Solomon said: “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.

Responsible for My Attitude

Why do some people hurt other people and even enjoy their pain? Why do people exploit others—even defenseless little ones for their gain? The question is debated by every generation. They offer explanations as to why human beings are the way they are. However, they never seem to get at the root cause of evil. The Bible offers a credible explanation for the cause of evil. It unequivocally states that everyone has a sinful nature and is prone to sin, and that is why they do terrible things to each other. It also states that they can’t stop doing evil unless God intervenes and transforms them into a new person.

Jesus states some very basic things that are very relevant to this subject of evil.  He says that we will be held accountable for our actions. He says we are responsible for our attitudes and shouldn’t ignore sin in those close to us. Here are Jesus words: "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. So watch yourselves” (Luke 17:1-2).

Jesus said, “Watch yourself.” Take care to watch that you don’t sin. Your attitude is your responsibility. Your anger, your resentment, your sadness is your responsibility. It’s not your parents’, it’s not society’s responsibility—it’s yours. We don’t hear too much talk like this today because everyone wants to blame their problems and faults on someone else. Jesus says stop blaming others and take responsibility for your own thoughts and actions.

Beyond watching ourselves, he told us that we should also confront others who are sinning. Jesus said that if you see someone going down the wrong path, you are supposed to confront him and try to stop him. If you see her take a wrong turn and you know that she is on her way to a dangerous end, you are not to ignore her, but rather intervene by confronting her (Luke 17:3-4).

This might be one of the hardest things to do in our culture where everyone is entitled to their own truth. It doesn’t matter if the child is 12 years old and if he or she thinks they are right, and who are you to question them. Jesus says in effect, you know what is right and wrong. I have given you my Word. When your brother, child, friend or relative is sinning, then go to him in love and rebuke him. Do something to try to stop his insanity. Don’t think we are only talking about the sins of murder, adultery or robbery here. Even if our son or daughter has a disrespectful attitude, we are warned to confront them. Better we confront them now before it becomes an even bigger problem later. Failure to confront their children may be one of the most rampant sins of this generation.

Jesus also tells us that we are responsible to forgive the people who hurt us. Even if it is very personal, we should forgive and keep on forgiving (Luke 17:3). Regardless of the personal nature of the offense and the repeti­tion of the offense, if the other person repents, we are to forgive him. This forgiveness is to be habitual. It is an on-going process and not a one-time act.

This not easy what Jesus is asking of us. We must watch our own attitude and take responsibility for it even though that is not easy. We must not ignore sin in those we love even though we might want to. We must forgive sin, even when it is hard. It is, however, what Christ expects, and it is just simply doing our duty as a believer in Christ.