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Day 9: In the produce aisle!

So far in our 21 days of prayer and fasting, we have really examined what kind of an environment we need to become the person who is the right kind of fruit producer for the Kingdom. Honestly, our spiritual cultivation, which is making sure we are walking with Jesus, is a lifelong journey. We are always adding fertilizer, planting, and harvesting! To do that, we must always make sure our relationship with God is our top priority. As Jesus said, we must abide in Him. 


John 15:1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

To be fruitful for God’s kingdom and in all of the right areas of our lives, we must live in relationship with Christ. With that, today we are going to shift our focus from building the right environment to be fruitful, though we will never fully get away from that theme, to what kind of fruit we want to produce!

                  

Now, Paul gives us a fantastic list of what it should look like when we are in a healthy relationship with God. He calls it the fruit of the Spirit. Meaning that when you are living in the Spirit, these things are produced in your life:


Galatians 5: 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

In our lives, the fruit of the Spirit should absolutely be palpable. We should exemplify each aspect of the fruit of the Spirit in our relationships. After all, the Gospel is all about relationships; "with Him and with everybody else." Would your closest relationships say that you are producing the fruit of the Spirit? That is always a challenging question, mainly because to those closest to us we usually turn off our filters and forget that we need to be gentle and patient. Over the next few days, we will take some time to look at these nine aspects that the Holy Spirit can make us like Christ, but this fruit in our spirit is meant to produce other kinds of fruit in our lives.

                  

As you walk down the produce aisle in any grocery store, you will see a masterful assortment of color, taste, and produce. You see fruits and vegetables from all over the place right there in your hometown. If you’re anything like me as a kid, you hang around to see if you can get sprayed by the mister, but that has nothing to do with anything. My point is you don’t just see fruit, but you see a vast number of vegetables to give us an abundance of nutrients to live healthy lives. In the kingdom of God, being fruitful doesn’t just mean that we only seek the fruit of the Spirit, but that the fruit of the Spirit in us matures to produce our calling and labors for the Kingdom of God. Those callings and works are as colorful, unique, and nutrient as our local produce aisle. 

                  

What I am saying is that God has called all of His people to take part in the work of building His kingdom and He has given each of us special gifts and talents to produce equally unique and important fruit, or vegetables, for him! Today I want to just look at the produce aisle of the Kingdom that Scripture calls us to. Now, this is not a list of jobs or roles in the Kingdom. We will look at that during our devotional times the next couple weeks, but this is a list of Kingdom fruit and veggies that the fruit of the Spirit should produce in our lives. 


Evangelism and Discipleship

A Christlike life bears fruit through sharing the gospel and mentoring others to grow in their faith, helping them deepen their relationship with Jesus.

 

Acts of Service and Compassion

Living like Christ means serving others, particularly the marginalized, through acts of love, kindness, and compassion. Caring for physical and spiritual needs reflects God’s heart.

 

Generosity

Generosity—whether through time, resources, or finances—is a powerful fruit of Christlike living, demonstrating trust in God’s provision and a heart for others.

 

Pursuing Justice and Righteousness

Christians produce fruit when they advocate for justice, speak against oppression, and reflect God’s righteousness in their daily lives and communities.

 

Building and Encouraging the Church

Using spiritual gifts to edify and strengthen the church body through teaching, encouragement, hospitality, or leadership is a tangible fruit of a Christlike life.

 

Peacemaking and Reconciliation

Christians reflect Christ’s mission by working for reconciliation, whether in personal relationships or broader conflicts, mirroring God’s desire for unity and peace.

 

Sacrificial Love

A Christlike life is marked by selfless love—putting others’ needs before your own and embodying Jesus’ sacrificial love in practical, tangible ways.

 

Perseverance in Good Works

Consistently doing good, even when it’s challenging or unnoticed, bears fruit that glorifies God and points others to Him.

 

Influencing the World for God’s Kingdom

Christians are called to influence the world by reflecting God’s character through their actions, decisions, and presence in their communities.

 

Raising and Mentoring Godly Families

Investing in raising children or mentoring others in the faith is a legacy of spiritual fruit that impacts generations for Christ.


In short, this is the practical everyday things that our relationship with God should be producing. 

                  

So today, look over this list and look over your life. Where do we need the Lord to hit us with the spiritual mist timer and brighten up our fruit and veggies of our Kingdom work? See, I knew I could get an analogy out of that. Here’s the beauty of our relationship with God, if we have failed in these areas in the past, we have His forgiveness and mercy so that we can have the confidence to do better today. Let’s be a church that has a massive produce aisle to offer the Lord and to see our communities, families, and workplaces get the spiritual nutrients that they need! 

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