Who hasn't heard the old saying, "you reap what you sow" or "you get what you give"? Wow, it is an amazing thing to really pray over this while trying to grasp the enormity of what that verse above means.
In pondering it's meaning, I offer the following: It means not that there are nine fruits we are to bear, but that there is one fruit with nine beautiful flavors. The bounty of our harvest will be determined by our ability to turn our whole selves over to the Holy Spirit allowing him to work in our lives and nourish our soul thereby growing us into the bountiful harvest of his holy creation.
The fruit is given to all believers the moment you accept Jesus as your savior and trust him to provide all that you need. While some of the gifts above may come naturally to us, we must remember that God can help us to improve on these qualities, if we allow him. The fruit is not whole unless we care for it, providing an environment where it can grow. We as believers need to become invested, rooted and planted in the word of God. We need to care for our whole selves just like you would care for the tree or the vine producing the fruit. You will not reap a bountiful harvest if you don't care for the roots, water the vine, prune the dead branches, encourage new growth, sow new seeds, offer light rather than dark, and surround it with other trees that are fertile.
I long to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit within myself, to trust in God with the deepest of faith, knowing that the fruit I bear will be multiplied and shared with all those I come into contact with, perhaps helping them to also plant a bountiful harvest. The fruit I so desire can only be formed through Gods love and his works within me. I'm striving to make the choice and commitment to do more than just talk the talk, I want to really walk the walk. I freely hand over my foolish pride, suffering over past hurts and my personal agenda so that I can be healed and become a ripened and pleasing fruit of the Spirit.
Being fruitful in the Spirit of Christ will impact all those we come in contact with and may actually help decide where someone may spend eternity.
And, although I feel like I could write on this for hours as I sit here still sorting through my thoughts and emotions, I think it is time to stop before I get lost in the words rather than the act. Maybe I will focus my next blog post on each of the nine flavors and what they mean. Until next time, I leave you with this.........
Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Proverbs 3:3
The fruit is given to all believers the moment you accept Jesus as your savior and trust him to provide all that you need. While some of the gifts above may come naturally to us, we must remember that God can help us to improve on these qualities, if we allow him. The fruit is not whole unless we care for it, providing an environment where it can grow. We as believers need to become invested, rooted and planted in the word of God. We need to care for our whole selves just like you would care for the tree or the vine producing the fruit. You will not reap a bountiful harvest if you don't care for the roots, water the vine, prune the dead branches, encourage new growth, sow new seeds, offer light rather than dark, and surround it with other trees that are fertile.
I long to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit within myself, to trust in God with the deepest of faith, knowing that the fruit I bear will be multiplied and shared with all those I come into contact with, perhaps helping them to also plant a bountiful harvest. The fruit I so desire can only be formed through Gods love and his works within me. I'm striving to make the choice and commitment to do more than just talk the talk, I want to really walk the walk. I freely hand over my foolish pride, suffering over past hurts and my personal agenda so that I can be healed and become a ripened and pleasing fruit of the Spirit.
Being fruitful in the Spirit of Christ will impact all those we come in contact with and may actually help decide where someone may spend eternity.
And, although I feel like I could write on this for hours as I sit here still sorting through my thoughts and emotions, I think it is time to stop before I get lost in the words rather than the act. Maybe I will focus my next blog post on each of the nine flavors and what they mean. Until next time, I leave you with this.........
Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Proverbs 3:3
Very beautifully said. xoxoxo
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