Follow the Leader

CONSIDER THIS

After getting in trouble, a little boy would escape from his bedroom, crawl out of his window and climb down an old fruit tree. One day, his dad was planning to chop down the fruitless worthless tree. During the night, the boy tied a bunch of apples onto the barren branches. The next morning, the man could not believe his eyes. He said to his wife, ”Honey, I just can’t believe it! That old tree hasn’t yielded any fruit for years, and now it’s covered with apples. The most amazing thing is that it’s a pear tree!” 

Far too often we think the Fruit of the Spirit is something we have to “add” to our Christian life or a list of things to get better at, one at a time, or a checklist to work through to be a good Christian. Far from it! The Fruit of the Spirit is an all-inclusive result of walking by the Spirit, something God naturally produces in us as we walk faithfully with Him.

If you’ve been wondering “There has to be something I can do.” Well, Paul says, “Follow Jesus! If we live by the Spirit, let’s keep in step with Him.”

What’s that look like? Listen carefully. Do what the Spirit says. Go where He says to go. Walk closely in His footsteps. Then we will not be guilty of living a sin-filled works-of-the-flesh life, but rather, the fruit of the Spirit will be clearly evident in our lives. So simple: follow the leader, follow Jesus.