Filled with Fruit... and Vegetables

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23

I tend to consider the fruit of the spirit as a laundry list of traits I should have. How am I doing on love? Pretty good, I'm feeling loving toward the people in "my world" today. Have I been kind today? Sure. I let the lady with only two items go ahead of me in the grocery store line. Yea, ME!

In life we try to make good choices. We encourage our kids to share, use nice words, forgive, to respect and obey. As adults, we are put off by rudeness. Have you ever grumbled to your spouse or a close friend about the crazy driver you encountered on the highway? Have you ever complained about your unreasonable boss? (Of course, we never grumble about our families!)

Looking at this passage, though, I wonder if Paul wrote a list of traits to strive toward. Reading the entire section, Galatians 5:16-26, it seems he is asking us NOT to live by the flesh, but instead to live in the strength of the Holy Spirit.

The acts of the sinful nature (v. 19-21) are separate and distinct. Each one results from a choice we make in our own strength. These acts, sexual immorality, idolatry, hatred, envy, fits of rage, etc., can happen independently. We can give in to a fit of rage without envy. I know, I've raged at my kids without an ounce of envy on more than one occasion.

Verses 22 and 23, though, flow from love in the power of the Holy Spirit. One grows as the others do. The "fruit" of the spirit is not a menu from which we pick and choose. Rather, they are the distinct elements of love that come from our personal relationship with Jesus. As we grow in love for Him, the outward extension of that love IS the fruit of the spirit... all the traits, not just one or two.

This morning, my husband and I discovered that one of our children has been using the drawer in the kitchen table as a "doggie bag." If we had a dog, this child would have fed vegetables to him under the table whenever we weren't looking. We aren't sure how long this has been going on, but we found a few dried up, shriveled green beans in the mix. We discovered it only because, today, this child decided to pour milk into the drawer.

Clearly, this was a moment that could send me into a fit of rage! Yet, it didn't. I set the child down out of the way. We cleaned out the drawer - ICK! Gently, we explained that food does not get hidden in the drawer (without sarcasm). We doled out the discipline, calmly. We continued on our day.

What's different? Why did I stay calm in a situation that typically would make me, human me, so frustrated? Simply put, as my relationship with Jesus grows, so does the outward expression of that relationship. He fills me with His love. I am changing, not because of me, but because of his great love for me. The more I get to know God, the more His Spirit fills me. The more filled I am, the more that Spirit overflows into my relationships.

Verse 16 explains it: "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature." Live in relationship with God. Read His Word. Pray. Ask Him to smooth the rough edges. Trust. Love. His Spirit - love - grows inside you, and you have no choice. The fruit just oozes out.

The milk had no choice. It filled the drawer and oozed out the cracks. That milk revealed the rottenness hiding inside. Likewise, because I am walking close to God, the Spirit of patience, peace, love, kindness, gentleness, and self-control had no choice. This "fruit of the spirit" oozed out because of what is hiding inside - my love for my Savior and my desire to grow more like Him each and every day.

Each of us must choose. Will we walk in our own strength - oozing milk and rottenness? Or, will we fill our hearts with the love of God - oozing His love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control?

Dear God, You are amazing! You knew we needed the Holy Spirit. Thank you for giving us Your Holy Spirit to guide us. Forgive me for all those times I ignore that nudging to live in love. Thank you for filling me with the fruit of your love. May your love overflow from my heart to touch others. Amen