The Fruit Of The Spirit

Am I the only one that almost got a fit when I realized that it wasn't, at all, 'the fruits' but "the Fruit" of the Spirit? Yes Love, it is but one fruit that comprises Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Goodness, Kindness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-control as it's integral and inseparable parts! Then I got round to asking myself the question that begged to be answered, "what happens now that I'm still struggling to acquire more kindness, more self-control, more...?" Thinking about the possibility of a fruit missing an important part of it was just too unnatural, a phenomenon for me to consider, even. It just wasn't right. At all

However the Holy Spirit that always brings timely comfort reminded me again of The Word that told the story of a garden owner that had hired a gardener for to tend his orchard and came along to see just how his trees were fairing from time to time. He recognized that a particular tree wasn't doing well at all; it only had a lot of leaves and not any fruit and remained so everytime he paid the orchard an annual visit, perhaps. He didn't see the need for it to keep taking up so much nourishment and tender care and not bear much fruit;

"Cut it down!", He said, but the gardener didn't think so. "Master, shall we give it more time? For I shall prune it and water it and tend it just once more and if it still doesn't bear any fruit, then I shall, indeed, cut it down and gather it up to be burned." His Master acquiesced and said, "Another chance it is, then", and it was so.

Are you getting the picture that has just been painted? Jesus, The Gardener, has not given up on you just yet, or me! He is saying, "My strength is made perfect only in your weakness", so why not look to Him to prune and water and tend you through His Word and prayer? He wants you to grow and bear the complete fruit that houses all the love and joy and peace and patience and goodness and kindness and gentleness and faithfulness and self-control that only those in the Spirit can bear. He wants you whole, complete and He wants to keep you until you become all that.

Written by Myiriah