Sundays with Kristi - Are You Fruitful... or Just Fruity?

By Kristi Burchfiel

Have you ever wondered if a fruit tree can refuse to make fruit?

I've wondered that sometimes as I look at the lovely trees that create the wonderful fruit I enjoy eating. Now certainly, there are times when the weather gets too cold and freezes and the trees don't produce fruit. Or, if they don't get enough water, then they won't be able to produce fruit. But I'm talking about a fruit tree that has all its needs met and all the resources at hand, but just simply decides that it doesn't want to produce fruit.

In Galatians, Paul talks about the fruit that we as believers in Jesus Christ are to produce. Galatians 5:22-25 says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit."

That's quite a list of fruit. Over the next several weeks, we're going to look at each quality mentioned individually, but today, I want to look at the passage as a whole. Two things stand out to me from these verses. First, the word fruit is singular, not plural. Paul is referring to one fruit, not many fruits. So, even though this lists nine different characteristics, we do not get to pick and choose which ones on this list we'd prefer to display and which ones we'd rather leave off (can anyone say patience!). Our life in Christ should be made up of a fruit that displays clearly all nine qualities listed.

Second, we have to allow God to work through us to produce this fruit. Our personal desires and passions will not produce this fruit. Motives matter. Producing fruit of the Spirit is not each of us trying to work up something or trying to do more, be more. Producing fruit is more about dying than trying. No matter how hard I try, I will never love like God loves, have joy like God has, patience like God, etc. But, if we belong to Jesus Christ, He produces this fruit in us and through us, we just have to get out of the way by dying to our own personal desires and agenda. We have to let it go. We will never be able to produce the fruit of the Spirit on our own, only by dying and allowing Jesus to live each day through us will we be able to see Jesus produce fruit through our lives.

Now, just like it would seem ridiculous to us to see a fruit tree that refused to bear fruit, even if all the right conditions were met. So, it must seem to God when we accept Him into our life and ask Him to be Lord over our life, and then refuse to allow Him to produce fruit through our life. Granted, I know that some days I've felt like I've been more "fruity" than "fruitful." Still, I know that God loves me, forgives me, and wants to work in me so that even in my crazy, mixed up life, His perfect fruit is evident and points
Dear Jesus, some days, I'm like a fruit tree that doesn't want to produce fruit. I struggle against You and try to do things out of my own desires and for selfish motives. Forgive me! I want my life to produce Your perfect fruit so that You may be honored and praised. I will stop trying and start dying to myself daily so that You may live through me. Help me overcome the temptation to take back control. I live in the Spirit, help me to walk in the Spirit. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

RESPONSE:
What aspect of the fruit of the Spirit do you find a struggle in your life? How do you feel like God is working to make your life more fruitful? Share your thoughts below.Lonely Hearts ~ a sweet Christian Romance
The Price of Trust ~ Christian Romantic Suspense
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