But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
From the time children are young, we instruct them in these things because we know they are valuable. We call after them, “Be kind!” or “Be gentle!” Even as adults, we prompt one another to be more patient or loving. While we have good intentions, this passage gives us insight that we often seek these good things in the wrong way. We try to accomplish them ourselves. But the fruit of the Spirit does not come naturally to us. It comes because of God’s work in our hearts, not because of what we do.
Without Him, we can have happy times, peaceful moments, and do kind things, but living joyfully, peacefully, and kindly only comes from Him. Isaiah 64:6 says, “For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; and all of us wither like a leaf, and our wrongdoings, like the wind, take us away.” Even our best efforts only amount to filthy rags, but God in His generosity and kindness has given us access to salvation and the fruit of being with Him. When we are in Him and He is in us, we have unchanging joy, peace that lasts, and love that endures.
- How have you tried to produce the fruit of the Spirit on your own? Why won’t this work?
- When have you seen the fruit of the Spirit in someone’s life? How is that different from passing moments of displaying those traits?
- Pray and ask God to grow the fruit of the Spirit in your heart.
