The Fruit of the Spirit: what it means to live by the Spirit and produce the fruit

This month I studied the Fruit of the Spirit which I briefly touched on in a previous post a couple years ago. However, this time I wanted to study it in more depth. Writing to the Galatian church, Paul discusses what it means to live by the Spirit (Galatians 5:14-26). Simply put, living by the Spirit is simply resisting the desires of the sinful nature as they are in conflict (verse 16-17). The acts of a sinful nature are listed in verse 19-21, including sexual immorality (which I will do an in depth study at a later date), hatred, jealousy and fits of rage. In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (verses 22-23). We can see why our sinful natures would be in conflict with the Spirit. These are character traits found in the nature of Christ and as the Spirit grows in every believer, he or she will begin to exhibit the same Christ-like nature. 

Love is declared the greatest above all (1 Corinthians 13:13). To love others was commanded by Christ (Matthew 22-37-40, John 13:34-35). To love others is to help each other out in times of need or struggle. It doesn’t have to be monetary. It could be a phone call at 3 am. It could be answering a question for a stranger while at the store. Taking time out of your busy day, errands and schedule to help with a gracious heart. Essentially, as 1 Corinthians 16:14 says, “do everything in love.” Joy in a true believer is undeniable. It is that despite their struggles, despite their pain, they are joyfully seeking God’s guide, love and grace through their valleys as well as their mountain tops. Proverbs 17:22 says that “a cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Sometimes it is hard to be joyful when life looks bleak; however, because we love Christ and believe in him, we are “filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy” (1 Peter 1:8). Peace is hard to imagine in this world as it seems we are always at odds with each other. But Christ tells that we will have trouble in this world but to take heart as he has conquered the world (John 16:33). We can claim the peace of Christ in the most troubled times as we know Jesus has already been victorious. 

Patience is the capacity to accept or tolerate something without getting angry or upset. It is not rushing into a situation, into a relationship or a decision. Patience is something we all struggle with as we deal with frustration. Psalm 37:7 tells us to be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him. It is following God’s plan and timetable rather than our own. Patience is not just waiting but having the right mindset and attitude while we wait. Kindness is showing mercy to others, generosity with our time and resources, and being sympathetic. It is being civil. Proverbs 11:17 tells us that kindness is a benefit to those receiving the kindness as well as the one giving it. Kindness has a boomerang effect. Give kindness and you will receive kindness (although we all know it’s not always from the same person). The kind person honors God by sharing his resources with others and in return, God will bless him. Goodness is working for the benefit of others and not just ourselves. In Greek, the word for goodness is agathosune which means “an uprightness of heart and life.” It is not done for recognition but to bring glory and honor to God who loves us. In Galatians 6:10, Paul writes, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” To return goodness with goodness and overcome evil with goodness. 

Faithfulness is consistently doing what one says he will do. It is keeping your promises. It is fulfilling your duties as a follower of Christ. Another divine characteristic of God as He does as He promises. Hebrews 10:23 says “Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.” Faithfulness is being reliable and trustworthy. It is being steadfast until the very end. Despite our struggles. Despite the world coming in around us. Gentleness is tender, compassionate, tenderness and consideration. It means showing love and care for others in how you act and speak. It is to have a soft spirit or nature. Gentleness is also humility. Humility in reference to who God is and it is not self-hatred or to see yourself as unvalued but to think of yourself less. Proverbs 11:2 says, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” Humility is seeing that apart from God, we can do nothing of worth (John 15:5). Self-control is the discipline to resist the sinful nature. Jesus perfectly demonstrates this disciple during his time in the desert. In Matthew 4:1-11, Jesus is tempted by Satan and does not give in. Self control is also not rushing into a fight without a thought. It is to gather all the information before making a decision. “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls” (Proverbs 25:28). 

In conclusion, the word fruit is singular which highlights that these attributes are intertwined, growing in harmony with and interacting with each other. Living by the Spirit and bearing the Fruit of the Spirit is not something we can do on our own. We need the guidance of the Holy Spirit. As each believer exhibits these behaviors, it can be viewed as the Spirit winning the conflict with our flesh (Galatians 5:17). The fruit of the Spirit are not something we can work on to achieve but flows naturally when we abide or walk in the Spirit. How do we do that? By prayer and studying His Word. “It is living moment by moment in dependency on Him, to listen for His Voice and be obedient to it” (Charles Stanley). Living by the Spirit and exhibiting the fruit is a daily activity. Some days we can be on point and others we will need help. But God is faithful to those who live by faith. 

The Kite and the Boy: a story of patience, forgiveness and redemption

The Kite and the Boy by Aaron Duffy and illustrated by Kary Haaland Greene is the story of a kite who longed to fly higher and higher until he learns that fly high isn’t so grand. A kite lived in the window of a toy store and each day he hoped to be taken home. Each day that hope was dashed until one day when a boy bought him. The boy immediately put his initials on the kite and took it flying. All summer long, the boy took the kite flying and the kite loved soaring and swooping in the sky. One day, the kite noticed a flock of birds were flying higher than he was and he wanted to fly higher too. But the boy wouldn’t let him. The kite continued to fight, trying to fly higher until his string snapped and he was carried away by a strong wind. At first, the kite enjoyed the new heights until he realized something was wrong. Will the boy find the kite again? Will the kite be able to fly with the boy again?

The Kite and the Boy is a beautiful, simple story of how our desires can make us lose sight of what really matters. It is a lesson that we may not always reach the heights we want to until we are ready to do so. It is also a tale of forgiveness and the beauty of redemption. I highly recommend The Kite and the Boy for any family or school library.

The Kite and the Boy

is available in paperback and in eBook

The Captain No Beard series: fun and imagination mixed with great lessons

Today, I have five books from the Captain No Beard series by Carole P. Roman.

First, Captain No Beard: An Imaginary Tale of a Pirate’s Life is the story of Alexander aka Captain No Beard and his pirate friends. Hallie, his cousin and first mate, Mongo the monkey, Linus the Lion and Fribbit the Frog. In this story, the crew aboard their ship, The Flying Dragon, must battle a fierce storm.

Second, Pepper Parrot’s Problem with Patience is a story about the new member of the crew and her inability to follow directions and her frustrations that follow. The captain orders drills to practice in case of emergency but Pepper the Parrot gets turn around and goes in the opposite direction of the rest of the crew. She yells and screams that she can’t get it right until Hallie stops and helps her. The lesson at the end of the story is not to be afraid to ask for help.

Third, Stuck in the Doldrums is a lesson about sharing. The crew is marooned on an island and they begin to play on the beach. Captain No Beard demands and decides since he is captain he is right and others are wrong. His behavior leads the others to not want to play with him so he goes off on his own. He is determined that he can do it himself. When a great squid attacks the ship, he calls for help but the others are willing to help at first. Captain No Beard learns that it is important to share and take others’ feelings into considerations in order to play together.

Fourth, The Treasure of Snake Island is a story about the search for buried treasure and the discovery of a great and priceless treasure. Armed with a map, the crew sails for Snake Island and dig where X marks the spot. Inside the chest, they find books!

Finally, Strangers on the High Seas is a lesson about strangers. Captain No Beard and his crew run into a strange ship and the crew calls out to them. Should they approach the strange boat or keep their distance?

The Captain No Beard series is a great series of books which captures the imagination of children as well as teach important lessons about sharing, strangers, and teamwork. The illustrations are beautiful and capture the story wonderfully. I highly recommend this series to families and classrooms.

All five of these titles are available on Amazon for the Kindle as well as in paperback.