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(Galatians 5:22-23) “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, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature together with its passions and appetites.”

I received this from our friend and brother Julian Jackson yesterday afternoon, and it was much too good to keep to myself …

“Imagine you have two seeds in your hand, but you can only plant one! One seed grows quickly, but it produces ugly, terrible-tasting fruit that doesn't ever satisfy. Cultivating the other seed though, takes time and consistent attention, but its fruit is beautiful and delicious. Knowing this, which seed would you choose to plant, water, and grow?

In Galatians 5, the apostle Paul discusses two types of fruit our lives can produce: fruit of the flesh and fruit of the Spirit. The “flesh” refers to our carnal desires that pull us away from God’s Holy Spirit. Those desires produce hate, impatience, bitterness, selfishness, rudeness, chaos, and self-indulgence, and God has no association with such things.

But when we commit our lives to Jesus, He gives us His Holy Spirit. The power of the Holy Spirit helps us “crucify” the desires of our flesh and put them to death. And when we crucify those desires, we create room for the Holy Spirit to produce fruit in us that leads to positive life changes. It’s a constant fight, though!

Our flesh wants to get even—but the Spirit calls us to extend kindness.

Our flesh wants to entertain sinful thoughts—but the Spirit calls us to walk in self-control.

Our flesh wants to dictate our emotional responses—but the Spirit calls us to walk in joy and peace.

In effect, the Fruit of the Spirit reveals to anyone around us that we are actively seeking God and rejecting disobedience.

So, right now, take some quiet time and reflect on your life. What fruit is it producing? Are you experiencing love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness—or are there pockets of bitterness, anger, jealousy, and self-indulgence in your life? Call on the Name of Jesus for help if it's the latter. The scriptures teach us that God will always hear and answer our prayers if we address Him with faith and real intent. In our hearts, we will feel the confirmation that He has heard us and we'll receive a feeling of peace and calm. This sense of peace will also confirm that everything will be fine when we follow our Heavenly Father's loving will.

Holy Spirit, please touch the heart of whoever is reading this. Draw them into Your presence and show them that You continue to speak and answer prayers today. Amen. 

Heavenly Father, giver of life and health: Comfort and relieve those who are sick amongst us—such as Barbara and Ian fighting cancer. We also pray for a quick and complete healing for Keiron, Jay and Liliana. Please grant your healing power to those who minister to all the sick among us so they may be strengthened in their weakness and have confidence in your loving care. We pray this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.