DAY 30
BIBLE READING: Galatians 5:19-25
What do we mean by 'fruit'? Fruit is produced naturally by a plant or a tree showing that the tree or plant has reached maturity. On some plants fruit takes a long time to form. Other plants or trees produce fruit quickly.
The fruit of the Spirit is what the Spirit produces in a life yielded to Jesus Christ. It gives a picture of Jesus Christ, in that life.
Let's look at just the first three mentioned. Love, joy and peace all belong to our inner life or experience. From these three qualities all the rest of our life seems to flow.
The love referred to is not human love, but Christ's love. The Holy Spirit helps us to understand more of Christ's love for us and so our love for Christ increases. He does more than that, however. He gives us a love for the unlovely and even for our enemies. That is not natural is it? But the Spirit of God can do it if we will allow him.
Joy is not merely being happy about everything. It is quiet confidence that we are in God's hands so we are happy in all circumstances.
Peace, too, is something which comes, not from the absence of trouble, but from the presence of God. It underlies all the rest of our lives.
If we don't have love, joy and peace, then the Spirit of God Is not being allowed to work in our lives. Who is stopping him? Could we look in a mirror and see the answer?
A THOUGHT:
Growth is part of Christian experience. How much have we grown this year?