Will your life impact someone else's?
The fruit of the Spirit gets a lot of press. And it should. According to Jesus, prolific fruit is proof we belong to Him. The presence of the fruit means connection to the presence of God.
8 My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples (John 15:8).
For these reasons, fruit should be celebrated. But we cannot forget this simple truth: Fruit isn’t just for celebration; it’s also for reproduction. I wonder if Jesus’ statement that prolific fruit is the measure of a disciple and His command to make disciples is the spiritual version of the physical command given to Adam and Eve—be fruitful and multiply. While fruit is delicious and enjoyable, it also contains seed. And seed sown in good soil can produce more fruit.
22 God blessed them: “Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the waters of the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth...29 God also said, “Look, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the surface of the entire earth and every tree whose fruit contains seed. This will be food for you” (Gen. 1:22–29).
The fruit of the Spirit manifested in and through your life could be the seed God uses to plant His love in someone else’s heart. The peace and joy the Spirit exudes through you during hard times might be the seed of His peace planted in someone else’s heart to be able to trust God through a storm. The supernatural patience you show your children when yielded to the Spirit could be the seed He uses to plant curiosity in their hearts about the kind of God who could cause a person to respond that way.
The fruit of the Spirit in your life could contain the seed for someone else’s faith.
Do you believe that God wants to make Himself known through you? Do you believe there is someone God has purposed to encounter His grace through your relationship with them? Ephesians 2:10 tells us that we are created to walk in the good works that God has prepared in advance for us. Do you believe that some of those good works involve the transformation of other people?
18 Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:18–20).
Before you panic about what it means to make a disciple, consider Jennie Allen’s simple definition: To know and love Jesus and help someone else to do the same.
Remember, fruit production is never the result of performance but connection. If you had a Gala apple tree in your front yard, the fruit would benefit neighbours, friends, family and even strangers. The tree would produce naturally because of the seed it came from being planted in good soil. In the same way, we don’t need to go out and try to produce fruit; we need to welcome Jesus’ words found in John 15:5: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
The invitation is to remain in Him—to live our lives connected to Him. The Spirit can yield fruit in any season of our lives if our connection to and dependence on Jesus remains strong.
What regular rhythms need to be part of your life to live connected to Jesus?
How can you make known the way God has made Himself known to you? Ask the Holy Spirit for a spiritual conversation this week with someone who needs to know what you know.
Who has God placed in your life so that you can help them love and follow Him more?
