According to the “Dietary Guidelines for Americans”, women are supposed to have 1-2 cups of fruit per day and men should eat 2-2.5 cups per day (sorry guys!). Thankfully, fruit is pretty desirable. It's packed with natural sugars making it a no brainer to eat! Check out the produce aisle, the fruit seems endless! From blueberries and strawberries, to star fruit and dragon fruit (What even are those!?) You have no excuses! I think many of us still fail to have even 1 cup of fruit EVERY day, let alone 1-2 cups! Why? Because we are comfortable eating our processed food. Not to mention, it’s cheaper and doesn’t get moldy the second you put it in your fridge! It’s easier, more affordable, and is a “comfort” food.
In the same way, we can be comfortable far too easily when it comes to having fruits of the Spirit. God knew we needed physical fruit, so he gave us a plethora to choose from, but he also knew we needed spiritual fruit! The difference? We can't pick and choose when it comes to the fruit of the Spirit! Turn your head at an apricot, fine, but be careful not to turn your nose up at the fruit of the Spirit! We all need it! Those of us who are saved, and have a personal relationship with Jesus, received the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation. The gentle nudge that says “Hey you, you shouldn't have said that! You shouldn’t have done that”! That’s God working inside of you as a child of God! How exciting! Right? Well, it’s also convicting. Through the Holy Spirit, we realize how our fruit is doing. Check out the list in our verse above. There are 9 spiritual fruits listed! I can’t say I’ve ever eaten 9 different fruits in a day, have you? However, God calls us to have these 9 fruits DAILY. I don't think I’m speaking for myself when I say now that I think of it, I’d rather eat those 1-2 cups of fruit a day than to have the fruits of the Spirit! God knows the Christian life isn't an easy one, but he does promise to give us everything we need to live a godly life. “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness,” (2 Peter 1 verse 3). You don’t do this alone friend; it’s God working in and through you! Ask him to help you have the fruit of the Spirit in your life. Be observant throughout your day to see what fruit you need more of. You produce evidence of what's in you! What are you full of? If you have a moment, back up and read Galatians 5:16-21 to see a comparison of what it's like to be filled with the flesh vs the fruit of the spirit. So today, grab some fruit, and pray for God to help you be more fruitful in your life!
In the same way, we can be comfortable far too easily when it comes to having fruits of the Spirit. God knew we needed physical fruit, so he gave us a plethora to choose from, but he also knew we needed spiritual fruit! The difference? We can't pick and choose when it comes to the fruit of the Spirit! Turn your head at an apricot, fine, but be careful not to turn your nose up at the fruit of the Spirit! We all need it! Those of us who are saved, and have a personal relationship with Jesus, received the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation. The gentle nudge that says “Hey you, you shouldn't have said that! You shouldn’t have done that”! That’s God working inside of you as a child of God! How exciting! Right? Well, it’s also convicting. Through the Holy Spirit, we realize how our fruit is doing. Check out the list in our verse above. There are 9 spiritual fruits listed! I can’t say I’ve ever eaten 9 different fruits in a day, have you? However, God calls us to have these 9 fruits DAILY. I don't think I’m speaking for myself when I say now that I think of it, I’d rather eat those 1-2 cups of fruit a day than to have the fruits of the Spirit! God knows the Christian life isn't an easy one, but he does promise to give us everything we need to live a godly life. “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness,” (2 Peter 1 verse 3). You don’t do this alone friend; it’s God working in and through you! Ask him to help you have the fruit of the Spirit in your life. Be observant throughout your day to see what fruit you need more of. You produce evidence of what's in you! What are you full of? If you have a moment, back up and read Galatians 5:16-21 to see a comparison of what it's like to be filled with the flesh vs the fruit of the spirit. So today, grab some fruit, and pray for God to help you be more fruitful in your life!