Check your fruit!

"For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit.."

Luke 6:43-44

When I first got into recovery and came back to a life of following Christ the fruit of my lifestyle was evident. I had come to a bottom in my life; my wife left me and wanted nothing to do with me, I was failing at work, I was nearly homeless for a second time, my health was failing as well as the relationships with all those that were closest to me. I was bearing bad fruit in my life because I was rooted in my own fleshly desires. It took radical change of Christ in my life to uproot me from those desires and replant me to grow and begin to bear the fruit of the Spirit in my life. In chapter five of Galatians Paul describes the battle of the flesh versus the spirit. This is exactly what is going on in recovery. Recovery is a spiritual process of dying to self and being renewed by Jesus. Furthermore, Paul explains that the flesh and the Spirit are in opposition of one another. In verse 18 of chapter five he tells us to be led by the Spirit, then again in verse 25 Paul tells us, "if we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit." So, here's my question, how are you led by something you can't see? How do I know I am keeping in step with the Holy Spirit?

Jesus answers that question in the scripture above. You look at the fruit. What type of fruit are you bearing in your life? Paul says, in Galatians 5:22, "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." When you pause and consider your life and the people around you, are seeing any of this fruit? "Now the works of the flesh are EVIDENT: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these" (Gal. 5:19-21). Or, when you evaluate what is going on in your life are you seeing more of these? The fruit in our lives is produced by where we are rooted. Not happy with what you see going on in your life, your anger, greed, broken relationships, complaining, grumbling, lies, and so on? Then, check the root! Where are your roots buried? If you're rooted in Christ evaluate your prayer life, quiet time with God and study time in His word, and evaluate your fellowship with other Christians. Christ says in John, "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 does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit" (John 15-1-2). The reality is, following Jesus by the leading of the Holy Spirit is a tough life. We are consistently convicted of things in our life that bear bad fruit and we are constantly pruning our lives with His guidance. This is the process of sanctification, and it is difficult and challenging. But, the way I look at it, in my life, I was so rooted in the world and the desires of the flesh and because of that, my life was not only difficult, but headed towards hell and death quickly. So in contrast to being led by the Spirit, I'm often feeling convicted and called to make changes to further prune my branches in order to make me more Christ-like, although this is hard at times, the consolation I get of peace, love, joy, and so on makes it so worth it. Today, I ask you are you being led by the Spirit? If so, then you should be seeing some of these fruits of the Spirit in your life and in the lives of those closest to you. If you don't see as much of that as you like, consider the fact that you may need to be pruned a bit or re-rooted altogether. Pray to the Lord and ask that He would guide you into an action filled life that yields so much of the fruit of the Spirit! Living by the Spirit is the kingdom way of living, and it leads to an amazing abundantly life that Jesus promises to all who follow Him! Love you all! Praying for you and yours! Have a blessed day, it's your choice!