Cultivating God's Character

Before you were a Christian, what kinds of thoughts and desires did you have? Odds are they were probably much different from your thoughts and desires now! Part of the joy we have in Christ is living free from our sinful desires and instead embracing a desire to please God.

Before Christ, the Jews followed the Law to demonstrate their commitment to God and submission to his Will. Now that we are not under the Law, we show our submission to God by allowing the Holy Spirit to work inside us and make us more like Christ.

This process of submitting to the Holy Spirit, which dwells in you from the moment you receive Christ as Lord, allows God to perfect his divine character in us so that he can manifest his divine character through us.

In other words, the more God works on our hearts from the inside, the more our thoughts, actions, and attitudes glorify Him on the outside.

In Galatians 5:20-22, Paul refers to this outward evidence of a relationship with Jesus as the fruit of the Spirit. Note that Paul did not instruct people to do good things like go to church, lead others to Jesus, or even prophesy or see miracles (though we should do those as well). Instead, he emphasizes that the evidence of a life being transformed by Christ is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Developing the Fruit of the Spirit

As a parent, you may get upset with your child and later tell yourself that you will try to be more patient. While we can become aware of our actions and want to improve, the only way to guarantee we produce the fruit God desires is to allow Him to transform us from the inside out.

You can grow your relationship with God by reading the Bible, praying, and talking to God about the things you struggle with. Ask Him to show you what causes you to act out of alignment with your new nature in Christ. As you spend time with Him, He will produce a greater desire to love Him and serve Him.

Growing The Fruit of the Spirit

As you continue to know God at a deeper level and allow Him to make you more like Christ, you may find that you start being challenged in an area you thought you had under control.

Your instinct may be to feel like you are failing or that you are not as far in your relationship with God as you thought.

This is far from the truth! Feeling tested in your expression of the fruit of the Spirit does not mean that you are failing. In fact, it can mean that God is preparing you to be used in a way that requires a greater understanding of his character.

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” - John 15:1-2

As you continue to produce fruit in an area, God will challenge you to produce even more fruit. He leads us to deeper levels of understanding of His character so that we can demonstrate it in even the most difficult situations.

Getting Started With the Fruit of the Spirit

All of the fruit of the Spirit is important. However, if you are struggling with all the fruit of the Spirit and don’t know where to start, first focus on love.

In addition to being a fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5:6 says that faith works by love!

Furthermore, Galatians 5:14 says that the entire law can be fulfilled by loving your neighbor as you love yourself.

Ask God to help you understand how great His love is for you. He sent His only son to suffer and die for you. He created you and knew exactly who you would be long before you were even a thought in your mother’s mind. Nothing you do could make Him love you any more or any less.

The more you understand His love for you, the more you understand how God feels about others. He even loves the people who cause you the most frustration or anxiety. And if Jesus were here, he would show them the same love he shows you.

The more you can love God and love people the way He loves them, the more the fruit of the Spirit will manifest in your life.