Have you ever heard about the fruit of the holy spirit? These are qualities and behaviors that are an important part of being a follower of Jesus. Fruit of the spirit is mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”
How can we exhibit these qualities in our own lives? First, let’s start by examining some of the definitions.
What is love? Love is an action. Christ shared his love when he died for us. Joy is something we find, not something that we have to search for. I think, as a believer in Christ, that joy and peace is a part of us, it simply is.
Now, think about patience and kindness. Sometimes you feel like life hasn’t handed you a bowl full of cherries but has handed you a bowl of pits instead. It’s hard to be kind when life is not dealing you a good hand.
How about goodness? People who are full of God are also full of love. We’ve all met people who exude goodness; you want to hang around them and wish you could be more like them. Faithfulness is similar to goodness. Christ was faithful even when he went to the cross. We must always set our mind on matters of the Spirit instead of on matters of the flesh.
Finally, consider gentleness and self-control. Be gentle to yourself and to your neighbors. Apply the fruits of the spirit to your personal life and exhibit all those traits. They will eventually begin to come out of you and will touch the lives of those around you.
Tip to Take Away
Read the scripture, study it, and accept it into your life. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”(Galatians 5:22-23)”