I’m blessed to have friends from all walks of life, involved in different church denominations with a variety of theological beliefs. Beliefs that I’m not about to define or try to explain or debate.

 

I’m not a minister or priest and short of a miracle, I don’t think that’s ever gonna be part of my life’s path. But I’ve been around some really wise and insightful ones who have a gift for teaching others about the Love of God.

 

Father Bob Blackwell and Pastor Pam Avery are two of God’s servants who have strongly influenced my life and the lives of countless others. And it seems that the common threads between all of us are centered around having a loving and personal relationship with God. A relationship that is founded on the great commandment: Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And the second is to love your neighbor as yourself.

 

Now, I’m a simple girl, and to me, the fruits of the Spirit display this love in action. I’ve been blessed to experience the benefits of these fruits through others who have influenced my own spiritual growth. And trust me, while “I’ve come a long way, baby,” I’m still growing. Becoming more open to the presence of God in my life and focusing on the qualities of Jesus that I want to reflect on is part of the process.

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The Bible holds a great deal of information about how the Holy Spirit works in and through believers. I’ll share some of those verses as we go. But basically, the Fruits are simply the evidence of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives, reflecting the character of Christ to the world. I read once that the fruit of the Spirit reflects one’s relationship with God, with other people, and with ourselves.

 

As we grow and develop love, joy and peace in our lives, our relationship with the Lord grows.. As we continue to grow and build relationships with others, we are encouraged to reflect on qualities such as patience, kindness, and goodness. As we spiritually mature, we discover an inner strength that results in more qualities, such as faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The choice is ours as to how much fruit we cultivate throughout our lives. We need to be aware of the opportunities we are given and intentional about the fruit we can share.

 

So this is a short description of the fruits of the Spirit as I’ve come to know them. While this isn’t a complete or finite description of these qualities, hopefully, it will give you food for thought about how the fruits of the Spirit relate to your own life.