What does the Fruit of the Spirit really mean?

  • Amber Rice Miller
  • May 20, 2013
  • 393
                        
Summary: So what does the fruit of the spirit really mean? Is it something we are trying to get, or do we already have it? I remember a time I was talking to a friend of mine. I know I was struggling with having patience. What I was impatient about I don’t remember. My part of the conversation isn’t clear, but I distinctly remember his words. He told me, “Remember, the fruit of the spirit is patience.” “Yeah, I know,” I replied. But looking back, I really had no idea what that meant. I knew I should have it, so I tried in my flesh to be patient, but that didn’t work. What I didn’t know was that I already had it in my spirit! Galatians 5:22 reads: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering (patience), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. All those amazing qualities, qualities that we usually beg and plead with God to give us, are already in our born again spirits! He has already given it to us through Jesus. Isn’t that incredible? Ok, so you’re probably thinking I have gone crazy. If I had patience already inside of me, wouldn’t I feel it? No, because it is in my spirit, and that is the part of us we can’t feel but we accept it by faith because the Word of God says so. The more we mediate on all the fruits of the spirit, and the fact that we already have them, the more they will become real to us and we will see them manifest outwardly in our lives as visible fruit. I can tell you, my natural self is not a patient person. I am not the laid back, calm, anything goes type of person. But I know now that I have a new nature, and I need to focus on who I am in my new, born again spirit. I have to remind myself that I am a new creation; that old person is gone, and in my spirit I have all the patience I will ever need. Let me tell you, most days it takes a load of patience to handle my three ornery, rambunctious boys! I don’t do this perfectly, so please don’t think that I think I do. I have a LONG way to go. There are days, when I am not focusing on the word and who I am in the spirit, that I think to myself, “I just can’t handle this! I need help!” In those times I am relying on my flesh, my own strength, instead of drawing from the abundance of what is in my spirit. But when I renew my mind to who I am in Christ, and all that is in me in my spirit, I can draw from the well of patience inside of me when a situation arises that requires it. I don’t always feel like doing this, that’s for sure. My flesh, the carnal part of me, usually wants to lose it. (The flesh lusts against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh – Galatians 5:17) And I give in to my feelings more often than I would like. But when I am in tune to my spirit, and know that I don’t have to go by how I feel, I say to myself, “I have patience in my spirit. I am not trying to get it; it is already inside of me because Jesus died to give it to me. I choose to walk in patience. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” And bingo, I am walking in the spirit rather than the flesh, not giving into my feelings. This is a simple truth, but it isn’t going to come instantly or easily. It takes effort, but the effort isn’t doing it in and of ourselves but relying on God, mediating on His word, and drawing from what we already have in our spirits. You will mess up, but don’t get condemned when you do. God isn’t condemning you. He loves you and is your biggest fan. You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength!


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