Bearing Good Fruit

By: Kaelyn Gribble

Seeking God and asking Him to help us grow in exhibiting His Fruit will challenge us. It’s a choice to deny our flesh and feed our spirit instead. When we make that choice, God begins to shape us through situations that allow the Holy Spirit to develop His Fruit within us. As Pastor Rick Warren said, “Every problem is a character-building opportunity.”

Let’s be real: it’s no joke to withhold from our flesh what it wants. Because…

• Our flesh wants to get even, but the Spirit calls us to love and extend kindness.

• Our flesh wants to entertain sinful thoughts, but the Spirit calls us to walk in self-control.

• Our flesh wants to dictate with moodiness, but the Spirit calls us to walk in joy and peace.

The Fruit of the Spirit, described in Galatians 5:22-23, is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These qualities are evidence of a life rooted in Jesus and led by His Spirit. They’re not just about outward behavior—they’re about the deep work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.

• Love is choosing to bless those who wrong us.

• Joy is a steady gladness rooted in God, even when circumstances are rough.

• Peace is the calm assurance that God is in control, no matter what’s swirling around us.

• Patience is waiting without grumbling, trusting in God’s timing.

• Kindness is responding to others with tenderness and understanding.

• Goodness is choosing what is right, even when it’s hard.

• Faithfulness is staying true to God and our commitments.

• Gentleness is responding to others with humility, not harshness.

• Self-control is mastering our impulses so that our lives reflect the Spirit, not the flesh.

Walking by the Spirit means embracing these qualities, especially when it’s hard. It’s the daily decision to surrender to God’s work in us, knowing that He is using every struggle and situation to form us into the likeness of Christ.

Bearing good fruit requires daily surrender. It’s allowing the Spirit to prune away our fleshly desires so that the character of Christ can flourish in us. It isn’t easy—but it’s how we become light and salt to the world around us.

So let’s remember: our calling is to bear good fruit, reflecting Jesus in our homes, our communities, and wherever God places us.

Let’s close in prayer:

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for calling us to bear good fruit. Thank You for the Holy Spirit, who empowers us to walk in Your love, joy, peace, and all the other beautiful fruits of Your Spirit. Help us to deny our flesh and to choose to feed our spirit each day. May our lives overflow with Your goodness, so that everyone around us sees the light of Christ shining brightly. We trust You to prune us, shape us, and use every challenge to grow us closer to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.