12/01/2026
The Fruit of the Spirit is not a checklist of qualities we can pick and choose at will. You can't say you want "Love" but you don't want "long suffering".
Galatians 5:22-23 tells us, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” This means that as we surrender to God and allow His Spirit to work within us, these qualities naturally begin to grow. We do not manufacture them ourselves; they are evidence of His life transforming ours.
It’s important to understand that we cannot decide to have only the fruits we like or are convenient. Just as a tree produces fruit according to its nature, a life yielded to the Spirit will produce all aspects of His character. John 15:5 reminds us, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
True spiritual growth is about abiding in Christ, letting Him shape our heart, and trusting that the Spirit will cultivate in us everything needed to reflect God’s glory.
