A fruit of the Spirit is … to care for others
The farmer has to work hard for the fruit tree to bear good fruit. Nowadays farming is very scientific and everything is planned in minute detail. The amount of water and nutrients are worked out to the last milliliter. Irrigation programmes are carried out every week. A lot of energy is used to ensure the best fruit. But when the tree bears such crisp, shiny apples, the farmer sticks the label with his name on it on the apple with pride.
The same rules apply when it comes to the fruit of the Spirit. We must also put in a lot of energy to bear good fruit, because you see it doesn’t happen automatically. Early on our tree bears small fruit not even completely formed. So small they’re not useful to anybody. Therefore, we must consciously put in lots of energy to ensure that the fruit that we take out into the world is nutritious and juicy.
Let’s spend some time looking carefully at the different fruits of the Spirit. Let’s learn from others so that we too can bear good fruit.
Such people have 22… affection for others.
Melanie and her daughter are hungry:
The other day my daughter and I went to Steers to get dinner for the family. An old man in threadbare clothing walked in and asked everybody for food. Not money, food. Nobody wanted to help him. when the old man reached us I asked him what he wanted to eat. I told him to choose anything from the menu and I’ll pay. My daughter offered to buy him an ice-cream. People looked askance when I invited him to sit at our table. Some of the remarks I can’t repeat here.
We chatted to the old man.
The joy on his face was enough for me.
When his food arrived he thanked me from the heart. My heart was so sore about the judgemental people around us. When I’m alone I will pray for my fellow man so that their eyes will open to see God’s grace and love.
Allie suffers badly from depression:
This morning I feel exactly like your friend. Depression has been keeping me awake since four o’clock. As the sun came up, it started warming up inside me.
Sunday evening I deposited a small amount of money in one of my brothers’ account, because at that moment I felt that he needed it. Early this morning he phoned me and said to me how great God is. A debit order had to go off during the night and if it hadn’t been for the money that I had deposited there would’ve been problems.
I shed tears of gratefulness, because it was really God who worked in me to give the money to my brother. God lives and I feel so much better.
Even in times of struggle the Spirit bears fruit through us.
When the Spirit is in control, I do not stand in the front of the queue. No, with the Spirit our eyes and ears become sensitive to the needs of others. But that’s not all, because hands and feet start moving and doing something about the needs of others. And that is exactly what the juicy fruit of the Spirit look like. People change when they feast on the fruit of the Spirit.
Reflection
What does your fruit look like?
Will the Spirit put his sticker on it?
Do others experience your caring?
Prayer
Lord, with my whole heart I want to bear the fruit of the Spirit. People must see that I really care, but, unfortunately, I don’t always succeed. I beg of You that your spirit will help me to look past myself. Please help me to see the people around me so that I can reach out to them. Amen