We all know that fruit can expire quickly, and because of this, we tend to check fruit before eating it. We smell it, see if it’s too soft or discolored, make sure it doesn’t smell funny, and check for any signs of mold.

If we don’t pay attention, or are distracted, you know what happens…we bite into that piece of fruit and are presented with an unwelcomed outcome. Moldy, stinky, bruised, rotten fruit.

The same thing happens when we aren’t paying attention to who we surround ourselves with, or when we aren’t spiritually feeding our own souls.

Let’s see what God says in Galatians prior to the verse listing the fruits of the spirit:

“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19-21)

Those are things we need to stay far away from.

I believe God knows that the fruits of the Spirit can be hard at times, and that’s why they are fruit! They are sweet and full of goodness for our bodies, hearts, and minds. When we have love, joy, peace, gentleness, and goodness, we show others God’s love without ever saying we are believers.

When we show long-suffering and faith, we are sharing our testimony with others, and all the while His peace is covering us, too.

When we have temperance, we are showing self-control, and that can be one of the hardest fruits to have. It shows self-discipline.

People notice these fruits in those who carry them! The Lord tells us that we also bear fruit in scripture. We want others to see the fruits of the spirit in us! None of us wants to create rotten fruit.

We actually have a peach tree on our property, and there was one peach in particular that looked perfect. It was a beautiful shade of peach and the ideal size. It looked ready to eat. But, when our daughter looked more closely, she saw a tiny hole, and an earwig came out. So gross!

Fruit can also be deceiving. It may look good on the outside, like our peach did, but on the inside, it isn’t at all. This is why it’s so important that we pay attention to who we surround ourselves with, because we need to recognize good fruit.

I believe the Lord wants us to do our best with the fruits of the Spirit. I believe He wants us to ask Him to help us with the fruits that we find more difficult. I believe He wants us to show those fruits to others so they can see how wonderful He is and how they can have Him in their lives, too.

The Fruits of the Spirit are just as big a blessing to others as they are to ourselves! When we have the Lord in our life, He can help us develop these fruits.

“Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.” (Matthew 7:17)