Devotional: Fruit of the Spirit

“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 NIV

We have a weeping cherry tree in our yard. The way its branches hang down creates a cascade effect that is stunning no matter what season we’re in.

Every year, for only a couple of weeks, we are treated to hundreds of pink blossoms that sway gently in the wind.

We find ourselves sitting on our deck more, just to gaze upon that tree.

The rest of the year, depending on the season, it is either full of green leaves or the branches are simply bare.

The tree doesn’t live up to its name though. We have yet to see any cherries, and we know we won’t because it’s not the kind of tree that is meant to bear fruit.

As Christians, we go through seasons too.

We can be those bare branches or full of the green leaves of life. We can even have times when we simply radiate so much love and happiness that others take notice. We can be like the weeping cherry tree that is the focal point of my family’s backyard.

I don’t know who decided to give that tree its name.

I suppose some variations do bear some kind of berry, but, to my knowledge, none of them actually yield cherries as you and I know them.

I’m certainly never going out there with a bowl to pick a bunch of fruit that will be brought into my house and baked into a pie.

For those of us who have accepted Christ and call ourselves Christians, we have a responsibility to bear fruit.

There are no exceptions.

The name “Christian” literally means we are Christ-like and Jesus certainly did more than present a showy exterior.

In Galatians 5, Paul echoes what Jesus told us in John 13. We are to “love one another.” Paul goes on to instruct us “to walk by the Spirit” in order to “not gratify the desires of the flesh.” He gives us a lovely list of the fruit we can expect from the Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

No matter what my husband does with our weeping cherry tree, it will never be anything but a beautiful fixture in our yard.

No amount of pruning, fertilizer, or water will make it bear fruit. It simply is not in its nature to do so.

We, however, can feed ourselves from the Word of God. We can also prune away the parts of us that are inclined to behave in a fleshly manner.

When I read about the hatred, jealousy, selfish ambition, and other fleshly aspects of being a human that Paul warns us about, I wince a bit.

It doesn’t take long for me to put two and two together though. If I am obeying that one most important commandment to love others, there won’t be room for hatred or jealousy or anything else on that list of attributes to avoid.

But I’m human. As such, I’m naturally going to get my feelings hurt or want what I don’t have.

God is not asking me to become some sort of superhuman.

He knows my nature is like that weeping cherry tree. It simply does not come naturally to love everyone and have that Galatians 5 list of fruit flowing out of me every minute of every day.

Thankfully, He gives us what we need the moment we are born again and the Holy Spirit becomes part of who we are in Christ.

As we spend time with the Lord, we learn His character. And, when our flesh rises up, He is there to gently nudge us back in the right direction.

Imagine the last time you behaved unkindly toward someone else. Maybe you didn’t even show it outwardly, but it was there all the same, hidden deep in your own heart.

Now imagine stopping in the middle of those feelings and praying for the other person.

I have to be honest. That’s not what I usually do.

My inclination is to think about what caused me to feel that way. I may even share my thoughts about the person with someone else.

I certainly am not loving them the way Jesus told me to and Paul warned me about. No, I’m giving in to my flesh which not only leads me away from the Spirit but makes me feel worse than I did when this person originally offended me.

Could it be that part of loving others is pausing and praying for them in the hard times?

After all, as Christians, the fruit is there. We have access to all of it. We just have to provide the right environment for it to grow.

I’m so grateful for the Master Gardener who is constantly feeding my roots, pruning away the dead branches of my life, and shining His light on me to make me someone who represents Him.

My husband planted that weeping cherry tree many years ago. He strategically placed it where we could enjoy it.

He didn’t stop there though. Every year he tends to it, and his diligence has produced what we now enjoy.

God’s not finished with any of us.

I know I will battle my flesh as long as I’m alive. It’s part of how we’re designed.

But I also know if I make the choice to love others, I will bear the fruit that will make me the person Jesus wants me to be.

We’ve been planted. God has given us His Spirit to prune us and fertilize us. But we also have the ability to make our own choices.

Let’s start today. Let’s choose to love that person that our flesh wants to hate. I think lifting them up in prayer is the perfect place to start.

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