When we give our lives to God through Jesus Christ, His Spirit starts working inside of us, helping us become more like Him. God’s Spirit is the Holy Spirit, and He produces very good things in us. The Bible calls this “the fruit of the Spirit.” It’s not something we can earn or fake—it’s something God grows in us over time. Philippians 2:13 (NLT) reminds us, “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”
That means the good things that come from our lives—like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—are proof that God is working in our hearts. He wants us to grow the Spirit’s fruit because He wants His peace to live in us and shine through us.
This also shows us that anything in our lives that doesn’t look like these fruits—anger, jealousy, selfishness, or unkind words—aren’t from God. They’re distractions or influences from darkness that can pull us away from Him. Galatians 5:16 (NLT) reminds us, “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.” When we let God guide us, He helps us replace the things that hurt us or others with the Spirit’s fruit.
So we should always try to let all of these fruits show up in our lives—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—so we can serve God the way He wants us to. When we focus on growing these things in our hearts, it helps us stay away from desires or feelings that aren’t from Him. Galatians 5:25 (NLT) says, “Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.” When we do that, our lives start to reflect Jesus more and more, and that’s exactly what God wants for each of us. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
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