I used to have a yard with purple-leaved, fruitless plum trees. They were pretty and provided shade but they bore no fruit.
In my yard, I also had fruit trees. The peach tree was our family's favorite! My grandmother would come over every year with mason jars and a wide-brimmed, straw hat. I would get out the empty baskets and out we would go to "pull the peaches." We spent hours peeling and cutting and cooking those peaches. I recall the scent of sugar, cinnamon and fresh peaches wafting in the air. We made peach preserves and jam. We sliced and froze some of the peaches to later be used in pies and cobblers and to be sure, we ate some during the process. My two little, blonde boys had peach juice all over their tee shirts, hands and faces before the afternoon was through! I love those memories. What would we do without peaches?
Fruit: Definition
Fruit is something which grows on a tree or bush and which contains seeds or a pit covered by an edible substance that is usually sweet and often juicy. Fruits are an excellent source of essential vitamins and minerals, and they are high in fiber. Fruits also provide a wide range of health-boosting antioxidants, including flavonoids. Eating a diet high in fruits can reduce a person's risk of developing heart disease, cancer and inflammation.
Unlike a vegetable, a fruit develops from the flower of a plant. Fruit seeds contain all of the genetic material to produce a new plant, vine or tree of the same kind. The fruit is part of the reproduction of a whole new generation of its kind. I love the simplicity and deliciousness of the fruit. If you want flavorful, juicy peaches, plant the peach seeds from the tree that produces the same. Plant at the right time. Then give it the right conditions: proper soil, adequate water and sunlight, the proper environment and voila! In time, you will grow another generation of peach trees. This is especially important for those who have orchards. Reproducing the wrong fruit would be disastrous. Imagine thinking you were planting a peach tree only to find out it was a fruitless plum.
In the book of Galatians, Paul lists the fruit of Spirit which are evidence of a Christian life. The fruit or fruits described below are the natural product of the Christian life just as the peach is the natural product of the peach tree. A Christian living a Spirit-filled life will exhibit the characteristics below.
Galatians 5:22-26
But the fruit of the Spirit is:
Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Gentleness
Self-Control
Against such things there is no law. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.
Contrast that with...
5:16-21
But I say, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.
But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the [religious] Law.
Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are:
Immorality
Impurity
Sensuality
Idolatry
Sorcery
Enmities - the state or feeling of being actively opposed or hostile to someone or something. hostility
Strife - angry or bitter disagreement over fundamental issues; conflict.
Jealousy
Outbursts of Anger
Disputes
Dissentions
Factions - a state of conflict within an organization; dissension.
Envying
Drunkenness
Carousing
And things like these, of which I forewarn you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
An evaluation should be taking place in your mind. Which kind of fruit are you producing in your life?
If you are not producing the kind of fruit you want to be producing, there is a reason for that: it's called sin.
The good news is: You can change that.
As a Christian, the Bible will help you identify sin in your life so you will be able to recognize it, confess your sin to God and to anyone you might need to confess to, and make a decision to change that behavior. Finding an accountability partner is always helpful. Monitor your progress and decide ahead of time what you will do when you are presented with an opportunity or opportunities to go back into that sin. Those opportunities will not fail to present. Be on the alert and have a plan. As you grow, watch the new, sweet fruit that your life will produce!
If you are not a Christian and you recognize this by the fruit comparison, then today is your day to change your life! The prayer of repentance to God is a precious one. Since you have recognized your sin, now confess your sins and your need for a savior to our Heavenly Father. Accept Christ as your Lord and Savior. Decide to turn away from your sinful lifestyle and ask God to cleanse you of all of your sins and make you a new creature by giving you the Holy Spirit to live within you.
You will need a Bible and a good, Bible-based Church in which to grow and learn. Christians are given "gifts" by God. As you develop your Christian walk in your new church, you will also develop your gifts. There is so much to learn and experience! Just know that God will complete what He began in you. If you walk in obedience to His word, you will naturally produce the fruits of Spirit.
Blessings to all of you. May we all be fruitful and multiply!
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