I love making smoothies and so it’s always a puzzle how the price of a glass in a fancy restaurant exceeds the cost of all the ingredients, when I make it at home. Every so often I get disappointed, either that the mango I bought wasn’t sweet or the avocado had a flat watery taste oh my…the watermelon?! This is often the spoiler.
Let’s reflect a bit. Isn’t it true that the closer we are to someone, the more they are likely to see the rough edges in our character? That in our close interactions in relationships, just like putting your fruits in a blender, one of the ingredients might just spoil the taste of the smoothie. If you are keen or lucky, you might just be able to identify which one.
That’s when a harsh word uttered in haste will hurt a loved one, or an unkind act from us and we come across as selfish or impatient. Aren’t we guilty of such every so often? I know I am.
In the same way in our walk with God, His Holy Spirit will reveal to us distasteful bits in our character, if we allow him to. It’s then for us to respond when he does so as God desired to perfect us.
What fruit are you producing and is it bitter fruit? Are you allowing God’s spirit to produce in you His fruit?
I love the amplified bible version translation of Galatians 5:22
But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the [l]sinful nature together with its passions and appetites.
As a foundation and as drawn from Galatians 5:22 – “But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] .See, when we accept Jesus , Holy Spirit comes to live in our hearts. Thus, the result of His presence is the fruit of the Spirit. Every so often, our conscience will speak to us when something in our character needs some work done on us-that’s the gentle nudging of the Holy Spirit.
He is the inner voice that tells us to keep silent in certain discussions or circumstances or for us walk away when something is uncomfortable for Him. We have to yield to Him as often as possible and be sensitive to his promptings.
Can we identify which fruit we are lacking? I reckon that It’s easier to identify when we assess our relationships with others and with God. In fact, if we are honest with ourselves, we may realize that we sometimes produce the opposite of the fruit of the Holy Spirit; a lack of self-control, impatience or being unkind.
Don’t beat yourself up or feel condemned as a believer. Galatians 5:17-18:tells us that indeed that there is a battle between the flesh and the spirit and that’s why in the absence of the fruit of the Spirit ,our lives may be exhibiting the acts of the flesh and which will certainly suppress us producing His fruit.
Hold up!Am I guilty of all that? The acts sounds so evil, witchcraft (voodoo stuff) idolatry,hatred, sexual immorality. I can’t be guilty of such surely!
Prayerfully consider each of these and put them to death in your discussions with the Father. God may just show you one of these which is evident in your life. Let’s pick one as an example- idolatry. He may show you something, a good thing but which you have elevated above Him to a point of worshiping it. That could be child, a job, a spouse, even a desire for marriage. It could be anything. Allow Holy Spirit to convict you so you can crucify these acts of the flesh.
How can we ensure we are producing this fruit? Note that scripture calls it the fruit and not fruits meaning that the absence of one of these and the fruit is incomplete.
Firstly, remain in God. John 15:1-8 tells us that He is the vine and we are the branches. If we remain in God we will bear much fruit. I am yet to see a mango tree that produces lemons. We will bear what we are a part of. So, remain in God. Don’t allow yourself to be grafted to another plant.
Secondly, put to death the acts of the flesh. When we suppress our flesh, we allow the Spirit of God to rule over us .We will therefore not do what we want .Be encouraged to pray with Galatians 5 often and you will be amazed at what might be deeply hidden that needs to die.
Thirdly, we are to constantly check our lives against the mirror of the word of God & through repentance .When you look at yourself in a mirror long enough you might just be able to see that toothpaste spot at the edge of your lips for you to wipe it off, or where your mustache has overgrown. Perhaps you might notice your eyebrows need that salon visit for tweezing. Ladies known this too well.
2 Corinthians 3:18. says And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit.
As we keep beholding (looking at the word of God), He will keep transforming us and the beauty of it is that He transforms us to be more like Him. That way we will bear the fruit of His Spirit. Like those smoothies many of us all love, God will show us which fruit is lacking or the wild bitter fruit in our lives that makes us distasteful.
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