Fruit of the Spirit: Living out God's Character | Devotion

“This is to my Father’s glory that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” —JOHN 15:8

God is always interested in what we do; so much so, He plans and initiates it. Proverbs 3:6 says, “If you acknowledge Him in all your ways, He will direct your paths.” 

There are all kinds of things we might do, and our understanding of the roles we play can range from the mundane to the magnificent. Dragging ourselves to work simply because we have to can be monotonous, to say the least. If we enjoy our work and are providing for our families, that’s a good but moderate reason. If we say we’re meeting other people’s needs, that’s meaningful, but to say “I am on God’s agenda” is magnificent.  

As Christians, we are first and foremost God’s agents in whatever capacity He has placed us. Whether it be a nurse, cab driver, doctor, accountant, teacher, student, we are on mission for Christ. Jesus said, “This is to my Father’s glory that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” What reveals God’s glory is His character displayed in us.

The Spirit’s role in our lives is not so much about abilities, but about moral character. I once heard a preacher on the radio saying that he believed Jesus was probably the best carpenter Israel ever had. He said if Jesus played football, He would be the best player in the league; the best musician in the orchestra; He’d be perfect in everything He did. I would tend to disagree with that preacher. Jesus would probably have fumbled the ball and hit sour notes like the rest of us. His perfection was not in His ability to play football or be the best carpenter or musician; it was in His moral character. We cannot allow the notion that if we are more spiritual, the better we become in what we do. It is as the Spirit of God works within our natural abilities He reveals God’s character in us. 

Grantland Rice, a gifted sports writer in the first half of the 20th Century wrote a little poem which posterity will probably remember him best for. It says: “For when the one great scorer comes to write against your name, he marks not that you won or lost, but how you played the game.” That’s what the Holy Spirit is about in our lives – how we played the game. And it is that which will reveal Christ in us, and become the means by which we will bear fruit for Him. This is real world faith where every day the Christian life is fleshed out.

Dear Lord, I pray for a deeper work of your Holy Spirit to produce in me your character so that I may be used in bearing fruit for You.

In what area of my life has the Holy Spirit worked the most to produce God’s moral character in me?