Today I want to go over two verses in Galatians 5. Verses 22 and 23 go over the Fruits of the Spirit. The Fruits of the Spirit are the product of a well-developed spirit and reflect the growth of a believer. In nature, the fruit grows as long as the plant grows and falls if the plant goes dormant. This too can happen to our spirits and that’s why it’s so important to know the 9 Fruits of the Spirit, so we can be aware of our growth. These fruits are a choice that we need to make every day and just like in nature, they are a product our growth and self-care.
Here are the 9 Fruits of the Spirit:
1) Love
Love is the first one because it’s the most important one. With love we can do what we set our minds to. This feeling transforms differences, barriers, and hostility to bring people together. Choose to love those around you even if it means setting aside your desires to the benefit of the ones you love.
2) Joy
Joy and happiness are often easy to lose a hold of. We get frustrated with certain situations and forget to be happy. Don’t let the circumstances that you can’t control affect your happiness. Choose happiness today and let God take over the things that are out of your hands.
3) Peace
Peace is usually underestimated because we live in highly conflicted environments that constantly throw us off. We often get carried away by disagreement and forget that respect is the solution. Choose to turn down discord with respect and lift those situations up to God in prayer.
4) Patience
Patience to me is the ability to productively withstand the passage of time. This means using time to your advantage by preparing for the waiting period. Choose to tolerate difficult situations and remember that your attitude sets the tone of your day.
5) Kindness
Kindness reminds me of the power of service. When we serve others, we remember the value of human life and the love that God has for us. Choose to be compassionate about the situation others are going through and be willing to serve those in need.
6) Goodness
Goodness is having genuine intentions, it means having integrity and doing things with honesty. Be a light to those around you and support what you believe in. Choose to see the good in others even when it may seem difficult to do so.
7) Faithfulness
Faithfulness is seeing what we cannot see. It’s being dependable because any other way would not work. Choose to believe in what you don’t see and be sure that God will provide for your needs.
8) Gentleness
Gentleness is often associated with humility. We sometimes see people who seek status and change their ways once they acquire it. Although this could be common, the way to the top is built with the relationships we made and that needs to be present in our minds. Priorities may change, but the way we treat others shouldn’t. Choose to remember where you come from and don’t let your status affect the way you see those around you.
9) Self-Control
Self-control sounds the easiest but in reality, is one of the hardest. We often take rushed decisions based on emotion and don’t think about the circumstances. Choose to take a step back before making a decision and reflect on your situation to learn the best course of action.
Even though these 9 attributes are hard to fully adopt, it should be one of our top priorities to see these attributes to fruition. It will not happen right away, but with constant work and self-knowledge, it will happen.
Do you feel you have any of these? Which ones do you still have to work on?