Fruit of the Spirit

Heart Prep

Lord, clear my mind of distractions so that You can use these verses to teach me something new. Thank You for sending the Holy Spirit to me.
Help me desire to spend time with You, so others will see You, when they look at me.

Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

When we become followers of Jesus, the Bible tells us, we also receive the power of the Holy Spirit, Who abides within us. While it is exciting and comforting to know that power exists within us, it also comes with some responsibility. The verses above serve as a picture of what our lives should look like once we decide that we want Jesus to be the Lord of our lives. When the Bible talks about “fruit,” here, it means the outward actions and attitudes that can be seen in our lives by others. Will we automatically bear the Fruit of the Spirit? No! We are still sinners filled with a lot of worldly thoughts, desires, and actions. But, by yielding our minds and bodies to the SPIRIT, we can overcome our sinful desires, and begin to bear His fruit of righteousness. We have to spend time with Jesus each day, talking to Him and reading His Word, and surround ourselves with people who do the same. We have to learn a new way of living. If we find ourselves being filled with hate or unkindness, jealousy or bitterness, it is probably because we are not making Jesus a priority in our lives. We are not keeping our focus on Him. John 15:5 says, “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” My prayer for you would be that you would recognize your need to spend time daily with Jesus, to abide in Him, stay connected to Him, and produce fruit that is recognizable to your teachers, your family, and your peers, as being the fruit of the Spirit within you.

Life Application

Matthew 7:16-20 “You will know them by their fruits . . . every good tree bears good fruit . . . .

What are some good fruits (Galatians 5:22-23) that are not always evident in my actions?

What are some steps I need to take to make sure I stay connected to Jesus each day?

I want to remember this….