Bearing Fruit

"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10and find out what pleases the Lord" Ephesians 5:8-10

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other." Galatians 5:22-26

I was thinking just now about The Lord of The Rings- the movie. Shortly after Frodo Baggins becomes the ring bearer he learns that others are going to be after him to steal the ring from him. It truly dawns on him when one of his own fellowship turns on him and tries to take the ring. Frodo decides to set out on his own, because there is no one he can truly trust. There is no way for him to see into the hearts of all those around him and see who will be true to him and who will try and betray him. And in a way, I thought that this really exemplifies how we really don't know what is in the hearts of those around us. How do we really know that they people we look up to are living a Christ-like life? How do we really know that the people we look up to are truly people we should be emulating and learning from?

We are fortunate that there is a way! We don't have to wander about like Frodo, seeing betrayal in everyone's eye and trusting no one. Those who truly belong to Christ will bear fruit- the fruit of the spirit will be evident in their everyday lives. Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faith, Gentleness and Self-Control. A person who truly has a heart for Christ, and believes, will bear these fruit- sometimes without even realizing it themselves. What goes into the mind is what comes out, so someone who is spending time in the Bible, and spending time with the Lord in prayer and meditation will exude fruits of the spirit on an everyday basis. When someone takes in garbage- spends time doing or watching things they know they shouldn't, that's what comes out.

Sometimes that inappropriate stuff will come out and be rationalized- say gossip for example. We can rationalize gossip by saying that we "need to know more to pray about a situation" or "it's okay to get all this out in this situation." But really, gossip is never okay in any guise or form, no matter how you dress it, gossip is still gossip. In these situations we need to realize what's going on and put those fruits to work! Gentleness will stop the gossip gently. Kindness would recognize gossip and walk away. Self-Control will keep someone from gossiping in the first place. The fruit of the spirit all work together to enrich and enhance our lives. When we are bearing fruit of the spirit, it is a sign to others that the spirit is at work in our lives and working through us. It's these fruit that will help direct us to those we should be learning from.

I am so thankful that we don't have to be like Frodo and wander alone in the wilderness. We have a God who loves us, and Spirit working in us, and God has given us other believers to stand with when we need them. The fruit of the spirit brings a wonderful peace and order to life, and I pray that they continue to produce, because Lord knows we all need a little more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control in our lives.