A tree is a beautiful thing. We didn’t make them. We don’t send the rain to water them, and we didn’t create the nutrient-rich soil that insures the tree’s strong roots. God did all of that. He created the sun that is necessary for the tree and everything else to thrive and survive. It’s helpful to know a little bit about this beautiful, woody plant that God has created, because He uses a tree to describe us. In Luke 6:44, Jesus Christ said that a tree is known by the fruit it bears. We can substitute ourselves in this verse. We are known by the fruit we bear. There are some folks that aren’t big fans of fruit, but for the most part, we understand that fruit are desirable and delicious, and God has made it clear that we should be in the business of bearing them. Goodness is the fruit of the Spirit that allows us to have a tremendous and practical impact in people’s lives. Jesus Christ said in Mark 10:18 that only God is good. And because goodness is God’s nature, as His children, goodness must be our nature as well. We must seek to leave a trail of goodness in everything that we attempt to do.
God created us, and He provides everything we need to thrive. We don’t have to produce the fruit; the Holy Spirit takes care of that. The only thing you and I need to be concerned about is bearing fruit. We need to take what the Spirit produces in us and bring it to the outside. This way, more than just one person (ourselves) can enjoy the benefit of what the Spirit produces within us. Talk about an awesome love network, we’re it! Millions of Jesus Christ replicas walking the earth, doing good things for God’s Kingdom and spreading His love everywhere we go—this was His plan all along. Think of it, every person experiencing the fullness of their relationship with Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ, and then infecting everyone else with this Godkind of love and power. If we all cooperated with God’s original intention, this is how things would work. If we all lived this way, there’s no question that the world would be a very different place.
Reality, as you and I know it, is that everyone is not operating from a place of knowing or walking in God’s Will, but He invites us all to do so. Psalm 34:8(NKJV) tells us, “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” The practice of tasting and seeing are encounters that convey more than perceptions. Our wonderful Father is inviting us to experience Him in all His fullness. He is good to the last drop, and by accepting Christ, He has given us this goodness and placed it deep inside us through the person of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ commanded in Mark 12:30(NLT), “And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.” Our love for God must encompass all that we are. There must be a willingness on our part to offer Him our whole selves (the good and the bad), because He wants to come into our hearts and transform us into the person He has destined us to be. This transformation takes place in our hearts when we surrender totally to God through Jesus Christ. To get a visual of how necessary this is, we should look at ourselves honestly and examine how much our emotions and feelings are dictated by the external circumstances and conditions we face daily. These external influences divert our attention away from God and what He desires to do in our hearts.
We have been taught most of our lives to walk in the flesh and not recognize that we are spiritual beings. Because of this, leaning on our emotions and feelings has become easier than relying on faith. This is one of the things that must be switched or turned around, because God commands in Galatians 5:16 that we must walk by the Spirit.
Walking by the Spirit means that nothing or no one comes before our relationship with God. So again, we must learn to stop leaning on how we feel about other people, other situations, and even ourselves. Instead, we must lean on the Lord and be guided by His Word, because He only wants what is best for us. He is always causing things to work out for our good.
Jesus Christ said in Luke 11:13(NLT), “So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” Some of us have biological fathers that were not loving, caring, or supportive. Because of this, we may have ideas and beliefs about God that do not track with who He really is. This is one of the reasons He invites us to do more than assume, speculate, or take other people’s opinions about who He is. We can taste and see for ourselves, because He is ever willing to reveal Himself to us; we’re His kids. He gives us good gifts and allows us to encounter His love in an undeniable way.
We can be confident that every time we make a choice to operate in the Spirit’s goodness, we’re progressing in God’s Will. When we allow the Spirit to lead and guide us in our actions, attitudes, and thoughts, the Word will come alive. Not only this, but we will create for ourselves a realm of blessings where God’s goodness connects with the people and situations the way He wants. It’s not our agenda we’re following. In John 5:19(NLT), Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.” The Spirit will help us do whatever the Father wants done. Doing God’s Will is the model that Christ has set for us. When we follow it, our desire for God’s goodies in our lives will equal our desire to demonstrate His goodness to others.■
PRAYER: Bearing the Fruit of Goodness
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for blessing me throughout this week. I’m so awesomely thankful for Your provision. You bless us in so many ways, and we can’t possibly imagine them all. You keep the earth suspended in space and cause the sun to shine each day. All things come from You and all things were created by You. No detail is overlooked, for You cause all things to work together for the good of those that are called according to Your purpose. Thank You for taking care of our needs according to Your riches in glory. Thank You for forgiving my sins, and for forgiving all the things I have said, thought, felt, and done that were contrary to Your Word and Will. Please help me to be better so that I can be a greater blessing to Your Kingdom.
You have commanded us to let our lights shine within this earthly realm so that others can see our good works and glorify You. Please help me to bear the fruit of goodness so that I can reflect Your nature. Help me to walk in the example of Jesus Christ. Thank You for continuing to teach me Your Word through Your Holy Spirit. Please open my eyes and ears to the things I need to see and hear in order that I can be all You have called me to be. I desire to correct my errors, and I repent of my sins. Thank You for canceling the plots of the enemy that seek to destroy my destiny. Please help me to bear the Spirit’s fruit of goodness and to show others Your deep and abiding love at work in my life. Thank You for Jesus Christ, and thank You for the Holy Spirit. In the powerful name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.■
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