Fruit Inventory

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

Galatians 5:22, 23

Reading over these verses, did you see anything that’s already fruitful on your personal spiritual fruit tree? Are your 'boughs' overflowing with any of the attributes in those verses?

Now, it’s one thing to show love from time to time. It’s nice to display faith and meekness when you remember. However, are any of these qualities second nature to you? Do they flow out of you without a second thought? Or, do you find yourself having to will yourself to show a little temperance? Or does the thought of longsuffering make you shudder?

Bearing fruit is a process of reproduction. Whatever we are, we reproduce. When we become more like the Spirit, our fruit will reflect His presence in our lives. Yep, I’m saying it. The fruit your bear is a direct indicator of your growth in God. So if you have a lot of junk growing on your tree, you are definitely not allowing the Spirit to have His full way in your life.

Often, we don’t bear fruit. We just pick up fruitful traits when they are convenient or suit our needs and then promptly set them back down when we want things our way. We don’t take the time to dig deeply into God’s word and allow it to change our hearts. We’ll read a verse or chapter here and there, nod our heads in agreement, think that we should do better, and move on down the same path. We don’t allow the insight to effect change.

There’s a verse in the Bible that states that whatever a man thinks in his heart is what he is. (Proverbs 23:7a) What do you think about? What does your mind meditate on? Is it God’s goodness and His Word? Or are you thinking about how you can do more of what you want to do? Are you thinking about how to please God in your walk with Him? Or are you trying to figure out how to make your life more enjoyable for yourself?

We call ourselves the children of God, but how many of us are bringing pride to the family name? Do we reflect the Spirit of God in our daily lives? Or does our lack of spiritual fruit place us in another orchard all together?

Verse of the Day: Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. John 15:18

The Devil Wants to KILL You!

You are a fabulous being. God created you in an exquisite, perfectly unique way. He made you expressly for His pleasure, and your life is a testament to His great handiwork. (Psalm 139:14) He is proud of each breath you take.

As fine as you are, there is someone who hates every atom of your core. From the time man was created, the devil has been scheming, plotting, and interfering with God’s intended purpose for mankind. The devil’s very existence is now dedicated to thwarting mankind from living the life God chose for him to have.

The devil is one cunning creature, and he has studied you well. He knows exactly where your weak spots are, and he takes every opportunity to tempt you away from God’s chosen path. He offers his “treats” to you daily presenting them in such a way that it’s hard for you to resist. Lying becomes convenient, our flesh cries out to over indulge, our patience grows thin and we give in to harsh, angry behavior…

Each time you partake in the “treats” the devil offers up to you, you ingest something that’s sole purpose is to poison and kill your spiritual life in God. He wants you to get so hooked on his junk that you start neglecting the good fruit the Lord has available to you. As you succumb to the devil’s diet you will eventually stop partaking of the Lord’s bounty. Your spirit will grow sick and weak and your enemy will have prevailed.

You can choose instead to resist the devil, dig in, and go with the fruit of the Spirit the Lord has provided for you instead. The fruit He has for you produces life and brings blessings. It will cause your spirit to grow strong and enable you to live in victory while here on earth. God is your Creator. He takes pleasure out of your well being. Everything He has for you enhances your living experience. As you live according to God’s will, you cannot help but have favor and success.

So the next time you find yourself struggling to resist the devil’s temptations, remember his blatant agenda. He only wants to destroy you. Anything he brings your way is guaranteed poison. Why would you want to continuously partake in something that’s trying to kill you? Grab hold of God’s fruit of the spirit and thrive instead.

 
Verse of the Day: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22, 23

It's Not Just About You

God wants us to bear fruit not just for our own benefit, but to benefit others as well. As we go about our lives exuding godly characteristics other people will take notice.


When people have the fruit of the spirit, it’s hard to miss them. They stick out because it is not normal in this world. Those people who aren’t used to the things of God are more often than not going to be drawn to those people.

People are hard-wired to respond to the love. They enjoy being treated well. They want to feel respected. When we choose to live out the Lord’s principles and bear fruit, people will naturally be drawn to us.

That’s the great thing about fruit trees: You can feed hundreds of people off of one tree. As long as that tree stays healthy, people can come back over and over again and be nourished. With trees that bear the fruit of the spirit, continual spiritual food will birth those traits in others. Someone who keeps eating on God’s goodness is much more prone to become a bearer of His fruit themselves.

How many people do you ‘nourish’ as you go about your day? Do folks leave your presence full of the spirit? Or, are you leaving those around you with a bad taste in their mouths? What are you feeding those who cross your path?

No matter how brief the encounter, how shallow the relationship, you always leave an impression. As a bearer of the fruit of the spirit, yours can be an everlasting one. You don’t always have to share your testimony, quote a scripture, or even crack a Bible to be a witness for the Lord. Sometimes all it takes is a meek spirit, a loving gesture, or the manifestation of another one of God’s spiritual fruits to turn someone to Christ.

Today, consider how you interact with those around you – both strangers and those you know. Do your actions bring life and strength to others, or are you causing tension, strife, and confusion in your wake? Are your words seasoned with salt that effects change? Are you lifting up Christ in your lifestyle?

The world is looking for an answer to their pain. They’re searching for a reason to smile in the face of adversity. They want to believe that their hope is not in vain. They want to know the reasons for it all.

Seeing an actual good person live with real joy, a loving heart, peace in the midst of chaos, gentle words, solid faith, a humble spirit, patience in trials, and self-control when others would just let go… They will definitely want to know that person’s secret.

You can be that person. You can set yourself up with the perfect opportunities to minister Christ.

Verse of the Day: Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16

Don't Forget Your Benefits!

David actively took time to remember the benefits of being in relationship with the Lord. Do you take time to remember the perks of being a child of God?

First of all, we have received forgiveness of our sin and were given righteousness in its place. That alone trumps everything right there. We are no longer sinful creatures in the eyes of God. Because of Jesus' sacrifice, we are seen as blameless individuals worthy enough to spend eternity in heaven's glory with our King.

We also have the benefit of being able to have a personal relationship with our God. In fact, we can come boldly to the throne with whatever request or subject we want to talk about, and the Lord with talk with us! (Hebrews 4:16) Whenever, whatever, wherever we like, God is always ready and willing to listen.

In addition we have the added benefits of the fruit of the Spirit. As we live our lives according to God's Word, we get to experience love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22, 23) Who wouldn't want to have those things bubbling up in their lives?

There are so many more benefits to being a child of God. Take some time today to remind yourself of your benefits. Explore the Word and find out some things that you might have forgotten or overlooked.

Like any other benefit, the benefits of the Lord are there waiting for you. You just have to take advantage of them. Make use of your benefits today! Don't let your benefits just sit by the wayside unused. Take full advantage of the joy of being in God's Kingdom!

Verse of the Day: Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits... Psalm 103:2

Life In The Spirit

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Galatians 5:25

As believers in Christ, we have received the precious gift of eternal life. We are no longer bound to sin and death, but we are able to live a redeemed and everlasting life. Because our spirit man has been transformed, our outer man should reflect that change as well.

Since we have accepted the Lord as our Savior, we were blessed with the Holy Spirit as our guide and comforter. In the same way that He has quickened and changed us internally, He would like to do the same externally. Our every day life should be influenced by the Holy Spirit that dwells inside us.

In order to live by the Spirit, we have to acknowledge the Spirit of God in everything we do. Our every step should be made in light of the Holy Spirit. When we face challenges and decisions, we should allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us along the right path.

When we allow God's Spirit to lead us, wonderful things happen: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22, 23

As we follow the Spirit, we are changed and become more like Him! Soon we will be living and acting in ways that reflect His living on the inside of us. We will be showing outwardly the blessing that we received inwardly.

Today, allow yourself to walk after the Spirit. Keep yourself attuned to God's voice, make choices in line with God's Word, and show the fruit of the Spirit as you go about your day.

Verse of the Day: For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. Galatians 6:8

Growing Fruit

Today's post is the opening of my upcoming book. Hope you enjoy!

It would have been wonderful if the moment we accepted Jesus as our Savior our whole beings were changed into loving, Christ minded, God obeying creatures. However, this was not the case. Our sinful desires and tendencies remained with us after we said the Sinners Prayer. We were just empowered to overcome those desires if we chose to fight against them with the Lord’s help.

Many of us ignored the call to arms.


Simply because our souls have been saved from hell does not give us a ‘pass’ to continue on in the same behavior that we engaged in prior to being saved. It became our responsibility to transform ourselves into the image of Christ in our thoughts, attitude, and behavior.

In other words, it was time for us to start growing fruit.

Developing fruit requires sacrifice on our part. Many of us have lived with wrong behavior so long, it’s second nature to us. We are quick to catch an attitude when something doesn’t go our way. We’ve perfected the lies we tell to cover our errors. If someone crosses us, we relish in retaliating and putting them back in their place. Insert your sin here.

Yet these kinds of actions grieve the heart of the One who saved and delivered us. It is His will that we live a loving life showing mercy, humility, and peace to others. As He has shown us love, it is only right that we show Him love in return by following His will.

Our desires should take second place to His desires. If God doesn’t like it, it should be crossed off of our lifestyle list.

The Bible says that we can make the necessary changes by renewing our minds. Renewing here means that we have to retrain ourselves to think along the lines of the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God. We have to kick out every thought that’s not acceptable to God and actively sacrifice our will and replace it with His will. (Romans 12:1, 2)

Sacrificing our fleshly will and renewing our minds will be all the more easier as we actively follow after God. He has already given us His Holy Spirit to help guide us in the right way to go. We just have to make the effort to listen and obey Him instead of ignoring His gentle tugs to do better.

This is a process that takes time. It requires dedication, discipline, and resolve. Yet going through the process will result in our becoming more like Him.

Verse of the Day: So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. Galatians 5: 16, 17 (NLT)

The Fruit of Longsuffering

Did you know that one of the evidences that you are living in God's Spirit is that you are able to endure injury, trouble, or provocation long and patiently? That is the exact definition of longsuffering which is one of the Fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22)

Just thinking on that shifts my entire outlook! A character trait that I'm supposed to have as a Christian is that I endure long periods of trouble. Could that be why all these things are swirling around me? Maybe God's trying to put some fruit of longsuffering on my tree!

When we encounter times of trials, we want God to fix things quick. We see it as our right as His children to ask Him to take away the pain and the suffering. We are king's kids! Nothing good should be withheld from us!

Yet, maybe those times of hurt and those times of heartache were allowed to foster the fruit of longsuffering in our lives. God may have allowed the pain to work on our patient trust in Him.

It's easy to trust someone that immediately responds, always has a ready word, and quickly moves on our behalf. It's much harder to wait - patiently - for someone to come through after we have asked (sometimes more than once) and a significant time period has elapsed.

Did they hear us the first time? Are they going to be able to fulfill the request? Do they even care? Can't they see that we're in trouble?!

All of those questions we should already have the answers to when it comes to our Heavenly Father. We should already know that he hears us, is able to help us, cares about us, and sees that we're hurting. Yet, it is in the times of extended trials that we are able to prove that to Him and to ourselves.

Can you continue to trust God in the midst of an extended trial? Do you have some fruit of longsuffering hanging from your spiritual tree?

As you continue to seek God concerning those issues that you are facing, allow Him to perfect the fruit of longsuffering in your life.

Verse of the Day: But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 1 Peter 5:10

Garbage In, Garbage Out

It's kind of busy over here in my world, so I apologize for the late post.

There's an old saying: "Garbage in, garbage out" that I find to be totally true. Whatever you 'feed' yourself is what you're going to put out into the atmosphere. What your eyes consume, what your ears hear, and what your mouth swallows is what you're ultimately going to put out into the atmosphere yourself.

You can try and hide it all you want, but your evenings spent watching the reality shows where every other word is bleeped out will affect your behavior. Listening to all of the R&B, rap, and hip-hop will have an influence on your thought patterns. Reading all those Zane novels... oops, Christian folks don't get down with Zane now do they? Do they?

No matter what you do, it will affect you. It could be as simple as taking up the majority of your time so you don't spend any with God on a daily basis. The music you play in your ears can stifle the sounds of worship your spirit would normally want to produce. Feasting on the words of man instead of the word of God can stifle the growth of your spirit.

I believe that we can enjoy tv, reading, (clean) music, and the like. But I don't believe that we should allow these things to take more of our time than what we devote to maintaining our Christian walk and fellowshipping with God. There are so many things in our life that can benefit from a healthy spirit and a strong relationship with God. Yet, many of us forfeit our chances to grow and get closer to Him because of our love for the things of this world.

As a result of our over indulgence in worldly things, we have a lot of non-Christlike Christians roaming the earth hurting our witness and turning the world off to our faith. What would make someone want to become saved if they can't tell the difference between a saint and a sinner?

Let's change up what we are letting in to our beings. As we make sure that we are feeding ourselves more from the Lord's table, we will be able to produce more fruit that will be of a greater benefit to the world around us.

Verse of the Day: Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1 John 2:15

Fruit Trees

Ever been around someone who left a bad taste in your mouth? Have you ever walked away from a person with a sour mood when before you interacted with them you were happy?


That, my friends, was evidence of some bad trees. The Bible says that a tree is known by its fruit. (Luke 6:44) Good trees produce good fruit, and bad trees produce bad fruit.

When we go about life, we put out our fruit as we intermingle with each other. Whether or not that fruit is helpful or harmful is contingent on our relationship to God.

We all can profess Christ, but it’s what comes out of us that really tells if the love of God is our motivator. When we let God’s spirit get down on the inside of us and change our mindsets, we began to exude the fruit of the spirit.

God’s fruit is love, joy, peace, and patience. His bounty consists of meekness, kindness, and gentleness. God’s harvest includes faith and self control. When those characteristics are evidenced in our lifestyle, the people around us can be well nourished and benefit from what we offer.

In the same manner, when we give out negativity, we are causing the people around us to walk away with that negativity in their spirits. As Christians, we are to build up, not tear down. We are supposed to light up the world, not cause it to be downtrodden.

As you go about your day today, remember that you are a fruit bearing tree for the Kingdom. Make sure you cause someone to have a healthy bite today!

Verse of the Day: Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Matthew 7:16-20