Pass The Grapes

We have all encountered a believer that just exudes a certain something.  We can’t quite put our finger on it but when they come in the room there is a disturbance in the force, and I mean disturbance in the best way possible. The air around them seems to drip with peace, joy, or love.  These are the kind of people that plant seeds of interest in us.  Leaving us saying: “How do I get what they have?” or “There’s just something about her/him.” These people I have come to realise almost always carry the fruit of the spirit.

On the show, we discuss what fruit of the spirit is and why Paul spoke about it in Galatians. But here, I want to talk about the examples we have around us (maybe without even knowing it) and how exactly they got what we all want. I fear the answer is a lot less flashy than maybe we hope, but essential none the less.

Fruit is an excellent way to describe it because growing fruit takes time, energy, and focus and so does our relationship with Jesus. So, like every relationship, we need to spend time with him. Our best conduit for this is prayer, reading his word and quiet reflection. All of these can take many different forms: devotionals, Bible study, journaling, meditation on scripture, liturgical prayer, the list goes on. Don’t forget the quiet reflection time, though. This is the time after prayer, worship or study where you ask God to speak to you. It’s not much of a relationship if you do all the talking so begin to give him the space to speak and see what happens.

John 15: 5 tells us he is the vine and we are the branches. When we set about nourishing that vine/branch relationship something naturally begins to flourish. Fruit that others can see, touch, and feel. Once fruit is ripe, it is picked (harvested) and shared (eaten). We flourish and then share, and when we share, we begin to plant new seeds. A whole orchard can begin to unfold around us. So, what are you waiting for? Dig into your relationship with Jesus and don’t keep it to yourself. Pass the grapes!