Galatians 5:22-23
22 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.
When we think about what is fruit, it is really the flowering of a plant that brings new life. We often don’t think about it too much but rather just enjoy those apples, bananas, and peaches that we pick out at the grocery store. If you have ever bitten into a perfectly ripe anything, the burst of sweet in your mouth is unparallel to most other things that we eat. If you can imagine one of your favorite fruits and biting into that perfectly ripe bite our mouths often explode with how amazing that it tastes. And, fruit is incredibly beautiful to look at. It is the flower of the trees and often the color that bursts forth. Fruit is often referred to as the good stuff of life that we produce, i.e. the fruits of our labor, the carrot, the flower.
This text from Paul is one of his most loved passages because it is incredibly positive about the good stuff of life. A lot of the Bible is telling us what not to do and behaviors and thoughts to avoid, but this contrasting passage is very much telling us about what we should do. As Paul even states, “there is no law against such things.” The Holy Spirit gives us these fruits which are traits that help us to become vessels for God’s love. By choosing these qualities, we embody the Spirit in our lives. We then we become that blossoming tree that reflects the good stuff of God.
Prayer
Thank you God for giving us the fruit of life. Thank you for the qualities that you call us to live into and be that fruit in the world. Help us to embody you with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. In your Son’s name, Amen.