Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control … .” (Galatians 5:22-23).

The fruit of the Spirit is a natural outgrowth of the Spirit-filled life. As much as oranges quite naturally appear on the branches of the orange tree in its season, the fruit of the Spirit should appear in the life of a disciple of Christ. The fruit of the Spirit is not the produce of a well kept gardener’s secret. It is not patented or protected by trademark or copyright. It is in the public domain, free, accessible, and available to every believer in Christ.

It may seem odd to think about humans as fruit-bearing vegetation, but even the Old Testament uses this metaphor. The Psalmist saw the righteous man as a tree planted by the rivers of water, “that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper” (Psalm 1:3).

Jesus extended the analogy and referred to his disciples as branches of the vine, “I am the vine, you are the branches” (John 15:5). It was His intention that His disciples would bring forth “much fruit.” Jesus expected growth and that all vegetation should be fruitful.

Fruit grows on fruit trees! In the inherent DNA every tree is designed to produce “after its kind” since creation. (See Genesis 1:11.) Given the right environmental conditions every plant, vegetable, or tree will produce its own fruit. So, is it possible to create a positive environment where spiritual fruit can be nurtured? The fruit of the Spirit is not something that is difficult to produce. It is the normal result of spiritual development. Just as fruit-bearing in trees is a natural response to seasons, sunlight, and nutrition in the soil, the fruit of the Spirit will grow in a Spirit-led life.

The life of the believer should be an example of Christian discipleship, spiritual development, and an exhibition of the fruit of the Spirit. If others can see evidence of our message displayed in a life of selfless service they will have an example to follow and be encouraged to pursue the same process in their lives.