EMILY WICKHAM began her writing and speaking journey in 2005. She writes for Lifeway Christian Resources and enjoys serving the Lord as an author, speaker, and podcaster. She teaches via Indestructible Life, a podcast where women discover the life Jesus is and treasure the life God's Word gives. Emily also shares brief messages about the return of Christ on her YouTube channel. Please connect with Emily by subscribing below to her blog, Heart Stirrings.
BEAR FRUIT
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23, NASB
Dear Friends,
Have you ever told the Lord you really want to be like Him? You don’t know exactly how to achieve this desire, but you long to imitate Him.
I have great news!
The Holy Spirit imparts nine qualities into every Christian’s life: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). Granted, each characteristic exists in different measure within every child of God, yet we possess the honor of cultivating these qualities day by day. Though it’s impossible to bear fruit on our own, we mature and flourish spiritually by relying on the Holy Spirit.
In fact, Jesus said,
“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).
Establishing this truth from the outset will save us lots of stress and angst. Instead of forcing ourselves to act a certain way in an effort to demonstrate the Fruit of the Spirit, we simply need to focus on spending time with our precious Lord.
And in exchange, something beautiful happens:
“But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
How can this occur? It seems too good to be true (for lack of a more original statement). As unbelievable as it appears, however, we become more like JESUS by listening to Him speak through His Word, talking to Him in prayer, and practicing biblical truth. When we engage with the Lord day after day after day, we will bear fruit.
As Jesus loved others, we will too.
Joy will radiate from the deepest part of our being. Peace will envelop us, patience will ease into our trials, and kindness will mark our interactions. Goodness will motivate us while faithfulness will move us forward. And gentleness will soothe those around us as we control our words and behavior.
Of course, all this won’t develop overnight, yet the truth remains:
Abiding in JESUS will cause us to bear fruit. Just as physical fruit grows from a seed, spiritual fruit emanates from the Holy Spirit’s presence within us.
Let’s purpose to live our days in pursuit of Christ, delighting in His presence and imitating His ways. No one compares to Him, and nothing satisfies like Him. He is our Everything—yesterday, today, and forever.
“For in Him we live and move and exist” (Acts 17:28).
In Christ’s Love,
P.S. If you have read this post but realize you don’t have a relationship with God, please CLICK HERE to learn more. And if you’d like to reach out for prayer, please CONTACT ME. It’s always an honor to pray for you.
