Bearing Good Fruit

Bearing Good Fruit

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:22 & 23

This verse has been hard for me. The concept of “bearing fruit” was so foreign and confusing to me. I didn’t have any idea what it meant to have fruit. I mean, how could I bear fruit? I am not a tree. I am a human.

I read a book 2 years ago about the fruits and my eyes were opened to the depths of the fruits we can bear. I’ve found myself many times in the last 2 years searching for patience, for joy. I’ve often longed for goodness, self-control. I have become angry at myself so many times when I just wasn’t producing what I believed was “good fruit”.

I remembered the book I read by Elizabeth George, remembered the verse in Galatians and I’ve steadfastly been in prayer to try and understand what I was doing wrong. I prayed so often for these fruits; questioned myself when I wasn’t bearing them. Then He spoke to me.

These are fruits produced only IN Him. The next 2 verses in the chapter read:

“And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” Gal. 5:24 & 25

We can only bear these fruits when we are living in Him. These fruits are only produced when the Spirit produces them in us. I’ve struggled to practice this. Although I’ve known this for a long time, frustration still crept in and distorted my mind so often. I’ve struggled immensely with putting my faith in the Spirit and not in myself. Day after day I am a mother, a wife, a friend, a daughter, a sister; and day after day I long to demonstrate the fruits in my life.

I beat myself up when I don’t show patience, joy, long suffering. I cry when I don’t love, have peace, self-control. And why?

How could I ever demonstrate these fruits in my own flesh? Our flesh wars against Him, they cannot go hand in hand. We cannot serve 2 masters. One must die for the other to take control.

Should I be frustrated with myself? Sure! We should absolutely acknowledge that we are incapable of following Him on our own?

But, should I give up? NEVER! Never should we allow our flesh to run our life and never should we allow ourselves to push Him out. When we are residing within Jesus Christ we can bear all of these fruits. And when we fail, which we will do often, we should continue steadfastly in prayer.

“Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.” Philippians 4:6

I am so thankful to our God for delivering me from this world, allowing me to enter into an intimate and personal relationship with Him. He reveals Himself to me each and every day and I stand in complete awe of Him at every moment.

My desire is to crucify this flesh; with its passions and desires. I long to live by His Spirit, walking in His will. This desire is one that I must put into action every single second. Every single second I am a human and every single second I must die. If I don’t, He will never live inside me.