"Protect The Fruit"

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. "  Galatians 5:2,23

When we come to Christ as Savior, one of the jobs of the Holy Spirit is to produce the Fruit of the Spirit in us.  This is the nature and character of God.  It is revealed in our attitudes, actions, reactions and dealings with others.  Where we once walked in hate, we walk in love.  Where the old man reacted in unbelief, we now walk in faith.  Where we were once living in pride and arrogance, we now live a life of meekness and humility.  We should be people who manifest the Fruit of the Spirit because we are people who represent the Lord to this world and because we are being changed into His image.

Not only is the Fruit of the Spirit produced in our lives, it is to be protected.  I have only raised a few fruit trees, but the one thing about them all is that they need a little TLC in order for them to produce.  They need for us to take some measures to protect them from the elements, parasites, and diseases.  They can't be ignored or neglected.

I have a fig tree we have just planted.  It is small and tender.  Therefore, we are putting a small frame around it to help shelter and protect it from the harsh elements of winter.  Sadly, we had to cut down our pear trees this week because they got a fungus that was affecting the fruit and making it inedible. 

We have to protect the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives so that we will bear good fruit and glorify God.  We have to protect it too from "disease", "parasites" and the "elements" of this world.  We have to protect it from being contaminated by the mindsets of this world.  We do that by transforming our minds with the Word of God.  We have to protect it from the spiritual diseases of bitterness, criticism, fear, anger, etc.  These will all stunt the growth of the fruit and make it "inedible". 

Since the Fruit of the Spirit is God's character revealed through His children, its purpose is so that others can "taste and see that the Lord is good".  If we don't protect the Fruit and allow it to be diseased and contaminated by flesh, they will not get a true revelation of who God is.  Instead, it will leave a "bitter" taste in their "spiritual mouths" causing them to not want to have anything to do with Him. 

Have a great day.  Since the Fruit of the Spirit is being produced in our lives, we must make sure we protect it.

For further reading:
Psalm 34:8

 

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

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