“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23

The fruit of the Spirit is given to us through the divine power and grace of the Holy Spirit; He is constantly working in and through the lives of every born-again believer for the glory of God. There are several questions to ponder … as beloved children of God are we listening and following where the Spirit leads- seriously seeking to be filled with His power so that our lives are flourishing with this spiritual fruit from on high? “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23.

The Word of God admonishes us to be filled with the Spirit; why is this? Every born-again believer is immediately indwelt with the Holy Spirit at acceptance of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; however, we are not always filled with the Spirit. It is only when we release our free will to the will of God, by listening, obeying, and allowing Him to have full influence of our thoughts and actions, that we are able to experience the filling of the Holy Spirit.

The Fruit of the Spirit gives us the grace to deal with the cares and concerns of this life, it is not just about me…and mine alone; but we must interact with, pray for, and seek the good will of God for our fellowman; longsuffering is a product of this divine fruit that teaches us how to exercise patience; extending the same grace that we so richly receive from God to others.

We all stumble and fall along the wayside of life at times; but praise God, that His amazing grace picks us up and puts our feet back on solid ground. “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” Galatians 6:1.

The love of God that lives within us crowns the list; it develops our hearts so that we are able to display meekness, gentleness, goodness, and kindness to all that we encounter along this Christian journey; these are attributes that help us treat others with respect; choosing to follow the Spirit when we are led to speak up, and to outright shut up sometimes; ever growing and learning to be used for the upbuilding of God’s kingdom as loyal and faithful Spirit filled children of God.

Let us pray to remember and take heed to these words at all times “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.” Psalm 19:14; May our words and actions help to encourage, uplift, and heal others; or as the old folks would say…speech and actions seasoned with grace- exemplifying the joy and peace that lives deep down in our souls.

So, I admonish you to take a few moments today and consider, what kind of fruit is evident in your life – is it produced by the Holy Spirit or the spirit of this world? Ephesians 5:18 admonishes us “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;” The Apostle Paul uses the analogy of wine to denote the influences of this world…Choose to follow and be filled with the Fruit of the Spirit!

May God’ peace, joy and comfort keep our hearts forever!