What Happens When We Live God’s Way?

I've tried to grow tomatoes but the fruit I got for my efforts looked nothing like the fruit on the label that came with the young plants. Mine were poor specimens! God does not want us to be poor specimens of Christians, and the Holy Spirit has been given us to help us to develop a really fruitful Christian character that will truly look like the real thing. We read about this in Galatians 5:22-24. There we read what the fruit of the Spirit will look like in your life and mine when we ask for the Spirit's help. The end result will be a life that becomes more and more pleasing to God, because it becomes more and more like the life of Jesus Christ — that's what the Holy Spirit wants us to develop.

The life he wants in us is one dominated by love, both towards God and other people. It is a life full of joy and peace — both gifts left by Christ among his people when he ascended to heaven: "my joy, my peace I leave with you" (see John 14:27 and 15:12). Patience, goodness and gentleness show the way we should behave towards other people. Faithfulness, meekness and self-control are three ways in which we should 'manage' our lives before both God and others. In all of this we need the Spirit's help and it is his joy to give it.

Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus, I pray that the Holy Spirit’s fruit will ripen in my life so that I may become more like you.