Am I Recognizable By My Fruit?
In this post I have the joy and HONOR to introduce you to our very first blog contributor, Lauren Taylor. Lauren and I met when she was a senior in high school when my church hosted her school’s Senior Day. We hit it off over Chick-fil-A and over the last year, it has been a joy seeing her transition into her freshman year of college at MTSU. Lauren has a passion for the word of God and is one of the most disciplined young people I know. Lauren is a light among her peers, and I can’t wait for you to read her words today!
A Word From Lauren:
Hey! My name is Lauren Taylor, and I am so blessed and excited that Sarah asked me to be a guest writer for her blog! I am 18 years old, and a freshman at MTSU. I am studying nursing, and my dream is to be a neonatal nurse. I grew up in church all my life, but it was when I hit rock bottom last semester that I realized how important it is to be rooted in the One Who created us. Reestablishing that Jesus is my firm foundation helped me in so many ways, and shifted my mindset to be one who is influenced by the Holy Spirit. I pray these words inspire you all today, whether you’re a teenage high school student or an adult on your way to your 9-5. Thank you Sarah again for this wonderful opportunity! Much love!!!
“A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.”
When I think of fruit, my mind immediately starts listing out apples, pineapples, strawberries, blueberries, etc. While all those fruits are so so good, you know what other fruits are JUST as good? The fruits of the Spirit. I’m sure we all remember singing the song in children’s church and doing the hand motions along with it, but what if we made those fruits more than just lyrics to a song? What if they became a lifestyle?
After all, Jesus does tell us in Matthew chapter seven that the righteous will be recognized by their fruit. “So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.” This is such a powerful statement. Galatians 5:22, lists out all the fruits of the Spirit as the following: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Paul lists these as the qualities of people who will inherit the Kingdom of God.
Incorporating these into our daily lives not only improves our attitudes, but it brings us closer to Jesus. Think about this: you, young man or young lady reading this, you could be the only Bible that someone sees today. What does that mean? When the Spirit of God and His qualities are implemented into your lifestyle, it radiates off of you. You become more loving to someone who wronged you, you become more patient when sitting in standstill traffic, and you start to have more self-control over your words, such as speaking only the words of God over your life. Trust me, people will notice. They’ll start to ask themselves, “how is she so happy all the time?” or ‘“how can she forgive someone who did her so wrong?” This opens the door for you to share with them the awesome message about how living for Jesus ultimately changed your entire life.
Take a minute to evaluate yourself. I know, I know, we don’t like to look at ourselves in the mirror, but it is important to prune the garden that is your spirit. Would you say that you’ve done a good job of implementing the fruits of the Spirit into your life? Would someone look at you and be edified by your words, actions, and conduct? This question caused a lot of conviction in my heart to take place. There were areas of my life where I knew I could do a better job of representing Jesus and Who He is. But praise the Lord that we serve a forgiving God, One Who is gracious and merciful towards His children. We can repent and confess our sins, because of the salvation we gained when we gave our lives over to Christ. Start looking into the garden of your heart. Replace those weeds of doubt, worry, and anxiety with beautiful flowers of peace, joy, and patience. Take out the roots of unforgiveness and replace them with seeds of kindness. It is only by taking the time to re-evaluate yourself and being disciplined with implementing the fruits of the Spirit that we will be recognized as a children of the Most High.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such there is no law.”
