Lou & the Fruit of the Spirit

Nothing in Scripture teaches that the filling of the Spirit is accompanied by ecstatic experiences or external signs. To be sure, being filled with the Spirit does bring the believer tremendous exhilaration and joy, but the New Testament epistles reveal that being filled with the Spirit brings forth the fruit of the Spirit, not the gifts of the Spirit.  John MacArthur

God develops the fruit of the Spirit in your life by allowing you to experience circumstances in which you're tempted to express the exact opposite quality. Character development always involves a choice, and temptation provides that opportunity.  Rick Warren

Lou is the lizard that lives on my patio.  I was sitting on the patio last night and I started thinking about what Lou does when I am at work all day.  It reminded me of the Geico Insurance commercials.   I pictured Lou sitting in my chair on the patio on my brand new cushions with his feet propped up on the coffee table patting his fat stomach and thinking about how great my home grown tomatoes taste.

This started me thinking about the length of time it takes for my tomato plant to produce fruit.  The plant won’t produce fruit if I don’t feed and water it.  If I give it fertilizer and plenty of water the fruit will grow and eventually ripen to later be picked and enjoyed or in my case, for Lou to enjoy. 

In our Christian life we are expected to produce fruit as well.  If I use Lou as my example, he would be like the person who wants to steal joy from my life.  How does that happen?  For Lou it means he sneaks in and steals my tomatoes or he eats the bottom out of it.  In my Christian life if I allow others around me to steal my joy, then I have lost what God gladly gives me when I am obedient to Him. 

We also push aside the fruit of the Spirit when we get in too much of a hurry.  When we decide that we want something and circumvent God’s blessing in our life by trying to take control of the situation, we lose the blessing God intended if we were to allow God the time to bless us.     

The parable of the hidden treasure comes to mind.  “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.  Matthew 13:44-45 

The fruit we bear can be the difference in ripe juicy fruit or rotten tomatoes. Pursue God with all your heart and the fruit of the Spirit will produce an abundant harvest.    

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I sometimes miss your blessing on my life because I am too busy pursuing what this life on earth has to offer instead of You. Help me to focus on You and the joy will come to me if I wait on You.

Scripture: Bring back our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the South.  Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.  Psalm 126:4-6