Fruits of The Spirit
It all begins with an idea.
A few months ago, the Lord placed it on my heart to study the Fruits of the Spirit. At first, I didn’t think much of it. To be honest, I thought I already knew everything I needed to know about them. It seemed so “elementary,” especially since my kids often come home from Sunday school with cutouts of fruit highlighting each gift. I assumed I had it all figured out, but I was wrong.
As I took the time to study the fruits and listen to what God wanted to teach me, I gained a much deeper understanding of each one. More importantly, God revealed to me that, by studying the Fruits of the Spirit, I was learning more about His character—who He is at His core.
I had always thought of the Fruits of the Spirit as tools God offers us, and while that's true, there is so much more to them. The fruits are not just tools—they are expressions of God's Spirit. As you explore each quality, it’s almost as if you're peeling back the layers of God's nature. Throughout Scripture, we see His character perfectly reflected in each fruit. He is literally offering us the means to become more like Him. How incredible is that?
Love:
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Ephesians 3:19
I wanted to include some Scriptures that explain what love is, how powerful love is, and how important love is. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 gives us a beautiful illustration of what love looks like. We see that love is kind and patient, not easily angered, and always hopeful. Love is pure when we make sure we are “loving” the right way!
There is incredible power in love! In Ephesians 3:19, we learn that the love of Christ is beyond our full understanding. God's love is so magnificent and powerful that our human minds can't even begin to grasp it. Yet, when we experience the love of God, we are made whole. That is true power. And when we share love with others, we are spreading God’s gift to one another!
Lastly, we know that love is incredibly important to God. In John 13:34-35, Jesus commands us to love one another as He has loved us. Loving God and loving others are the greatest commandments. Love, at its core, is what God calls us to live out in our daily lives.
Love will work every time. Love will never fail.
Joy:
“Rejoice evermore, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Joy is a pure gift from God—it’s something the world cannot give you. It’s not defined by temporary happiness, fleeting emotions, or worldly possessions.
True joy comes from knowing that God is the Alpha and the Omega. It comes from knowing that the King of Kings loves you! Joy comes from knowing that God is working all things together for your good. It comes from knowing that Jesus died on the cross and took all your sins with Him.
Joy comes from knowing that Jesus defeated death.
And joy is found in walking in God’s will for your life.
Peace
“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body and be ye thankful” Colossians 3:15
There is nothing in this world that can provide you with peace like Jesus can. There is incredible peace in knowing that your battles are already won. In fact, perfect peace surpasses all understanding.
If you take away one thing from this blog, let it be this: God offers you peace. You may feel overwhelmed by life and the difficult things you're facing, but none of what you’re facing is greater than the power of God.
Receiving peace doesn’t automatically change your circumstances, but it changes YOU. You’ll experience a deep knowing that God is on your side.
I pray that you are open to receiving His peace.
Longsuffering (Patience)
“And let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” – Galatians 6:9
Patience can be a tough one, but studying this fruit has really changed my outlook. The word used for patience in this verse is actually longsuffering. This tells me that patience is more about commitment than just waiting.
I used to think of patience as merely enduring, but now I see it as something much deeper—especially in the context of waiting on God. Here, patience can be understood as holding on to God, trusting in His timing. When we focus on the commitment to stay close to Him, we begin to see the beauty in the fruit of patience.
We can carry this same revelation into our relationships with others. If we fix our eyes on the commitment of the people in our lives, we will exemplify true patience.
Gentleness
“He shall feed His flock like a shepherd; He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.” – Isaiah 40:11
Look at the character of God. The Lord is so gentle and kind to us. Every move He makes toward us is thoughtful. Even during our pruning seasons, He is so careful, molding us into who He has called us to be. The gentleness of God is indescribable, especially when we consider how often we fall short of His glory. Yet, He still chooses to remain devoted to us, despite our shortcomings.
Wouldn't it be incredible if we shared the same gentleness that God has shown us with others? Are you being gentle with yourself? We can learn so much from this fruit. Be gentle, friends.
Faithfulness
“It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” – Lamentations 3:22-24
This is the fruit that really caught me off guard. For a long time, I viewed the fruits of the Spirit as tools for us to use, which they are. But I hadn’t considered them as reflections of God’s own character. As I read more about faithfulness, I quickly realized that God is so incredibly faithful.
Even when we go astray, God remains faithful to us. Not only is He faithful to us, but He is also faithful to His Word.
When we acknowledge God’s faithfulness, we create the space to be faithful ourselves—faithful to God, to our marriages, to our parenting, and to our relationships with others.
Goodness
“Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You, in the presence of the sons of men!” – Psalm 31:19
God is good. We see this throughout Scripture, and the fact that we are still here today is just one of the many proofs of His goodness. I encourage you to reflect on your experiences and look for the goodness of God—it always shows up, in every situation.
So, how can we put the fruit of goodness into practice?
Have a deep knowing that God is good.
Focus on the good in your life.
Be a vessel of God’s goodness.
Meekness
“But He gives more grace. Therefore He says, ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’” – James 4:6
“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” – James 4:10
Meekness is not weakness. Meekness is humility and teachability. Meek people esteem others above themselves. Jesus is the perfect example of meekness! Not only did He lay down His entire life for us, but He also entered the world as a baby. God in the flesh, lowering Himself to the smallest form of humanity just for us.
We must practice meekness in our everyday lives. James 4 tells us that when we humble ourselves before the Lord, He will lift us up. The way up is down! Humble yourself before the Lord, and He will exalt you.
Temperance (Self-Control)
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”– 2 Timothy 1:7
I like to think of self-control as a superpower—especially when it comes to our emotions. In 2 Timothy 1:7, we see that through God, we are given a sound mind. A sound mind is one that can exercise self-control, regardless of the environment we’re in.
We can see that God’s Spirit is good and pure. When you feel pressure to act contrary to God’s Word, let that be a signal to activate the fruits of the Holy Spirit within you. Feeling angry? Let that signal God’s peace. Feeling sadness ? Let that signal God’s joy.
Of course, this isn’t an instant fix to all your problems, but it is a great practice to cultivate in your life.
When we walk in the Spirit, we are given access to the incredible qualities of God. The Lord, in His grace, offers us these beautiful tools—gifts of His nature—that enable us to stand strong in a world that often feels dominated by flesh and chaos. These fruits of the Spirit are not just ideals or lofty goals; they are tangible, life-transforming attributes that God Himself desires for us to walk in every day.
Put these virtues into practice—let patience, peace, gentleness, faithfulness, meekness, goodness, and self-control be the markers of your life. As you do, I believe you will begin to see the hand of God at work, transforming your heart, renewing your mind, and shaping you into the person He has always intended for you to be.
I pray that you are open to the Holy Spirit’s transforming power. May you walk boldly in the fullness of all God has for you.
God bless you, dear friend. May His Spirit lead and empower you today and always.