Fruit

But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

Over the course of years I've gotten my fruits mixed up. Thank goodness I can always turn to the Bible and to wise men and women who have lived before and get myself straighten out. I was thinking about bearing fruit and the many scriptures we have studied where Jesus and others have talked about bearing fruit like "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." John 15:5

Recently I read a quote from Oswald Chambers where he said, "Fruit is not the salvation of souls, that is God's work, fruit is "the fruit of the Spirit," love joy, peace, etc."

The next time someone tells me to go out and bear fruit, I'm going to remember what bearing fruit is as God would have us know it. If we produce "the fruit of the Spirit," then God can do His work through us and people will come to know Him. It's not we who do the work of salvation, but God. We are just branches.

Heavy stuff for my pea brain on a Sunday afternoon, but good to think about and know once again it's God who is our master and we only need to do as He gives direction.