When my friend, Machelle, asked her three-year-old grandson to name his favorite foods, he listed them: hamburger, jelly, and the fruit of the Spirit. In his preschool mind, the list seemed logical: these were things he had enjoyed at one time or another—the hamburger at dinner, the jelly on some toast at breakfast, and the fruit of the Spirit through the actions of his parents and those who loved him. He heard and remembered this spiritual tidbit about fruit and decided to add it to his favorite foods list. Why not?
Galatians 5:22-23 teaches us “ . . . the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. . . (ESV). When we accept Jesus as our savior, we are “sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it.” (Ephesians 1:13-14 ESV). This encouraging fact means that God marked us as his own by giving us his powerful Spirit to live inside of us! This seal serves as a guarantee that our inheritance in the Kingdom of God is real–not only here on earth but in Heaven as well. Because we possess the same Spirit who is also in our Savior, we are able to produce fruit–or character qualities–that make us look more like Him. But, being able to look more like Him does not mean we always choose to live more like Him. The reality of sin complicates things.
When we allow our sin-tainted will to guide us, we are tempted to gorge on the false foods of self-sufficiency and pride. These can make us feel full for a while, but they won’t lead us toward Life. True life is found in God and in the Spirit he freely offers. When we allow that Spirit to transform us, we can deny our sin and we can feast on the fruit of holiness. This fruit–God’s very nature–is given to enliven and make us more like Him, but it is also meant to be shared. So in a world full of brokenness and grief, Christ-followers can exude beauty, wholeness, and hope; humanity hungers for these. So let’s offer them our bounty, but introduce them to the Giver as well. Wouldn’t it be grand if everyone we met went away full of the Spirit and filled to the brim with fruit? Make us faithful and fruitful, Lord.
Next time someone asks me about my favorite foods, I will start with tortilla chips and ice cream, but, like a certain three-year-old, I will continue with these: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control. Why not?