Fruit Bowls & the Spirit

The Fruit of the Spirit is the result of the Holy Spirit's presence and working in the life of a believer in Jesus Christ. This is really as a result of the believer yielding completely to the Holy Spirit. Professing to be a Christian and acknowledging the Holy Spirit is simply not enough. The believer must allow the Holy Spirit to take the lead in their life by yielding i.e. surrendering to Him.

The Fruit of the Spirit is one but has 9 expressions

The Fruit of the Spirit is one but has 9 expressions as shown in Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”

As a child, I often wondered how the Fruit of the Spirit would best be represented by actual fruits. What fruits would make up a beautiful fruit basket to represent each expression of the fruit of the spirit?

Here is my list…

LOVE

What fruit is red and closely shaped like a heart? Strawberries effortlessly comes to mind. I cannot help but liken love to a strawberry. Not only because of its colour and shape but because of the way they are grown. Agriculturally, strawberries are usually grown using the companion planting method. The benefits of this method for strawberries is that it improves their flavour, increases their resistance to pests, improves pollination and boosts the nutrients in the soil. This process helps both the fruit and the soil, just like helping one another is such an awesome expression of love. How cool is that?

JOY

My mind screams “Watermelons”! lol! Could it be because the water in watermelon clicks with the phrase “streams of joy” or because when a watermelon is cut into different slices, a slice gives the impression of a smile? Scientifically, watermelons contain lycopene which helps lower the risk for inflammation associated with dementia and depression. Like watermelons overflow with juiciness, God wants us to overflow with Joy.

PEACE

I would liken peace as an expression of the fruit of the Spirit to Berries. Berries such as blueberries and raspberries have been scientifically known to have natural properties that can boost brain health, calm the nervous system and allows for a more restful sleep. What other physical activity is more peaceful that having good rest?

PATIENCE

Some fruits can seem more trouble than they are worth when it comes to preparing them but don’t we all love the taste of coconut? If you have ever had to break open a coconut, there is no doubt you silently grumbled while smashing the hard shell against a surface, trying to be careful while at the same time being conscious that the milk could spill out. Not to mention how tedious the process of extracting coconut oil can be? The interesting thing is coconut oil alone has over 50 uses, so though the process may seem tedious, it produces so much. In that same way, we ought to consider what benefits patience has in our lives and what it can produce if we allow it take root in our lives. James 1:4 reminds us to “let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing”. Don’t skip your process!

KINDNESS

When I think kindness, I think of carrots. it is not quite a fruit but rather a root vegetable. The fibre in carrots can help keep blood sugar levels under control. They are also loaded with vitamin A and beta-carotene which can help lower the risk of diabetes. Carrots have calcium and vitamin K, both of which are important for bone health and the skin. Now you know why lots of skincare products contain carrots. They are kind to the skin!

GOODNESS

Close your eyes for a moment and imagine the pleasurable goodness you feel while biting into an orange. Oranges are filled with vitamin C which are good for the general wellbeing of the body.

FAITHFULNESS

Faithfulness refers to reliability. Well, there’s one fruit that captures this quality. You know the saying, “an apple a day, keeps the doctor away!”. Apples are like that ever faithful fruit; always available, easily identifiable and able to withstand different conditions. Likewise faithfulness is constant!

GENTLENESS

What is the most fragile fruit you know? I bet you are thinking a banana, right? Bananas are is that one fruit that require extreme care in handling as it can easily be damaged. Similarly, gentleness can be likened to a banana because of its delicate nature.

SELF-CONTROL

I would liken self-control to a lemon. Lemons are sour in nature compared to most other fruits but they have multiple purposes. One notable use is cleansing/detoxing. Exhibiting self-control can equally be likened to being as a result of a cleansing/transforming process.

It is important to emphasis that the fruit of the Spirit is just one with nine expressions so possessing one and lacking another is not evidence of a completely yielded life. Just think of it like a fruit salad or a clementine with 9 segments which is nutritious and beneficial to the body, so do the components of the fruit of the spirit make for a healthy spiritual life. All of these are predicated on one key ingredient, love.