“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.“
— Galatians 5:22-23 KJV
Reflection on Today's Verse
Let’s be honest—none of us wakes up naturally overflowing with all these qualities. We might have joy one day and lose it before lunch. Patience? Gone with the first traffic jam. Gentleness? Depends on caffeine. But Paul isn’t handing out a checklist. He’s describing what the Spirit produces when we stop trying to control everything and just let God grow something in us.
This isn’t about polishing your behavior to impress people. This is internal work—the slow, quiet kind that takes root and transforms who we are when no one’s watching. The fruit of the Spirit isn’t grown by effort; it’s grown by surrender.
You don’t have to strain to be loving or peaceful like you’re forcing apples out of a branch. Stay close to the Source. The vine does the work. You just stay connected. And when the fruit shows up—when you react with kindness instead of snapping—it’s not a coincidence. It’s the Spirit proving He’s still at work in you.
Personal Prayer
Lord, I can’t fake this fruit. I’ve tried. I can be nice, but only for a while. I need You to plant something real in me—love that holds steady, joy that doesn’t disappear with bad news, peace that isn’t shaken by chaos. Grow in me what I can’t grow alone.
Make me patient with people who test me. Kind when I want to be clever. Good when no one’s keeping score. Faithful when it’s hard. Gentle when the world is rough. Help me choose self-control even when my emotions sprint ahead of reason.
I don’t want to pretend—I want to bear real fruit. Stay in me. Work through me. Make my life taste like You.
Amen.