fruit of the spirit
I Googled various subjects relating to fruit and fruit trees. Here’s some of what I found:
Fruit isn’t something that appears, it’s the result of a process.
**So it’s unrealistic for me to just “ask God for patience” and expect him to “give me patience.” Instead, I can expect a process to happen by which he grows patience in me.
After a tree is planted, it generally takes three to five before the tree will produce fruit.
**So I can’t be too disappointed if I don’t have all (or even very many :)) of these things, because it’s not something that happens overnight.
Most trees require “cross-pollination,” meaning that two or more trees of the same variety need to be planted together, so that they can pollinate one another. Without this cross-pollination, the tree will not bear fruit.
**So there’s no possible way these qualities will grow in me outside of the presence of other followers of Christ - my growth requires the involvement of others.
Fruit is basically an egg - the product of an an ovary (a flower), that contains the seeds necessary to reproduce more trees that can produce more fruit.
**So the end game of God producing the fruit of his Spirit in me isn’t about me…it’s about ultimately producing more followers of Christ, who will produce more fruit!
Fruit isn’t something that appears, it’s the result of a process.
**So it’s unrealistic for me to just “ask God for patience” and expect him to “give me patience.” Instead, I can expect a process to happen by which he grows patience in me.
After a tree is planted, it generally takes three to five before the tree will produce fruit.
**So I can’t be too disappointed if I don’t have all (or even very many :)) of these things, because it’s not something that happens overnight.
Most trees require “cross-pollination,” meaning that two or more trees of the same variety need to be planted together, so that they can pollinate one another. Without this cross-pollination, the tree will not bear fruit.
**So there’s no possible way these qualities will grow in me outside of the presence of other followers of Christ - my growth requires the involvement of others.
Fruit is basically an egg - the product of an an ovary (a flower), that contains the seeds necessary to reproduce more trees that can produce more fruit.
**So the end game of God producing the fruit of his Spirit in me isn’t about me…it’s about ultimately producing more followers of Christ, who will produce more fruit!
