I walked by our peach tree this morning and am excited about the many peaches we have. They’re still green, so much more time is needed. Nearby is our blackberry vines, which look very healthy and flowering. There’s no berries yet, so much more time is needed.
Having a garden means a lot of work, and there’s no guarantee of fruit. It’s not like a vending machine, where you put in a certain amount of value and you get a certain product. The peaches that are coming in needed our hard work, but they are also a gift. Which makes you so very thankful when you get to bite into one of those peaches.
For Christians, we are to live under the control of the Holy Spirit so that He produces His fruit in us. Galatians 5:22-23 tells us the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace; patience, kindness, goodness; gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. That sounds lovely and appealing.
But like all fruit, this fruit of the Holy Spirit requires work. Hard work. God knows exactly how to work the soil of your heart; when you need truth; when you need love; when you need support; when you need pruning.
And like all fruit, this fruit of the Holy Spirit is a gift. Even after all that hard work in your heart, this fruit doesn’t come from you. It’s not your fruit or mine. It’s the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Are you under the control of the Holy Spirit? Are you putting in the hard work to deny temptation and pursue holiness? Are you being patient with God as He works the soil of your heart? Are you thankful for the gift of His fruit in you? God’s work will yield great fruit in you!