For new believers, the term “Fruits of the Spirit” might seem odd. “Fruits of the Spirit”? However, this metaphor is a great way to understand how God desires to work in our lives. In Galatians 5:22-23, Paul lists nine “fruits” that the Holy Spirit produces in those who follow Christ: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. While it may seem daunting to embody all these qualities, it is God who works in and through us to develop these over our lifetime as part of what we call the “sanctification” process. So, what do these fruits look like in our lives, and how can we grow in each of them?
Understanding the Fruits
- Love: This is the foundation for all the other fruits. True love, as Christ demonstrated, is selfless and unconditional. As we receive God’s love, we are called to love others, even when it’s difficult and we struggle to love.
- Joy: This is more than happiness. Joy comes from knowing and trusting God regardless of circumstances. It’s a settled assurance that He is in control.
- Peace: We oftentimes don’t understand how we can be this calm or peaceful. His peace comes from trusting that He has everything in His hands and is with us through every storm.
- Patience: Living in a fast-paced world, patience is often hard to cultivate. However, it’s essential for enduring difficult situations and waiting on God’s timing, and often loving others.
- Kindness: This fruit is expressed in how we treat or react toward others. It’s the willingness to be considerate and helpful, even when it’s not merited.
- Goodness: This means being righteous in our actions and living with integrity. It’s about doing what’s right based on what the Bible would say, even when no one is watching.
- Faithfulness: Faithfulness is trusting in God no matter what your circumstances might be. It reflects our commitment to Him and others. It also is about being reliable and holding steadfast in what you believe.
- Gentleness: Gentleness does not mean weakness. It’s strength under control. It means responding to others with humility and deep care.
- Self-control: This fruit gives us the ability to resist temptation to sin and live in a way that honors God, choosing His ways over our own desires.
Practical Tips For Nurturing Fruits
All those fruits sound great in theory, but how do we grow in them? Here are some practical tips for nurturing these fruits:
- Stay connected to God: Just like a tree needs water to produce fruit, we need to stay rooted in our relationship with God through prayer, worship, and reading the Bible. This is what feeds our souls.
- Call on the Holy Spirit for help: We can’t just have these fruits automatically. God has given us the power of the Holy Spirit within us; we just have to call on Him. Ask the Holy Spirit daily to work in your heart and grow these qualities within you, particularly when they feel difficult.
- Practice the fruits regularly: Ask God to give you opportunities each day to live out these qualities. Whether it’s showing kindness to a stranger or exercising patience in a difficult moment, growth comes through practice and more practice. Don’t be surprised if God answers these with sometimes difficult situations.
- Surround yourself with a community of believers: Being part of a community of Christian believers can help you stay encouraged and accountable. We grow best when we have others supporting us in our walk with Christ, and when we can learn from each other.
If you are already seeing some of these fruits in your life, that’s great evidence of God working in your life! If not, be patient, and keep working and asking for help from the Holy Spirit. If you want to learn more about how you can grow even more, please check out our free resources from our friends at RightNow Media. They have thousands of videos and other resources for you to grow deeper in your faith. We also encourage you to get connected to a local Bible believing church where you can have accountability and grow in community with other believers. Finally, check out our recommendations for finding a church that will be a good fit.