Grapefruit in a bowl with a spoon

 

Word For You is no longer available in print or digital format although the archive of previous readings will remain available on this page for some time yet. If you'd like to continue with Word For You, you can listen to each day's devotional on the UCB Player app.

Fruit

28 December 2017
‘By their fruits you will know them.’ Matthew 7:20 NKJV

When we speak about ‘the fruit of the Spirit,’ we are talking about these nine qualities of character: ‘Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control’ (Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV). These fruits are not for ‘show,’ they are for sharing with others; otherwise they’re no better than fruit that was never grown in the first place. When farmers grow fruit and vegetables, they do it ready for them to be consumed. They don’t just grow them and look at them until they rot. And it’s the same when we grow the fruits of the spirit too. Growing the fruits of the spirit takes a lot of effort, and a lot of reliance on God. We can’t bear fruit if we’re not connected with Him. Jesus says: ‘Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me’ (John 15:4 NIV). But it’s not enough to bear fruit, we need to share that fruit with others so they can be blessed and impacted by the kingdom of God. Paul writes, ‘For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do’ (Ephesians 2:10 NIV). If we just worked on making ourselves really loving, joyful, patient, kind, good (and all the other fruits of the spirit) people but then never showed any of those qualities to anyone, or let them feel the benefit of them, then have we really got them at all? Are we really loving if we never show love? So we need to make sure we’re bearing fruit and then sharing fruit.

What Now?

Eat a piece of fruit. While you’re eating, pray that you’d be able to bear and share fruit in your life.

Sign up to get your copy delivered

The UCB Word For You

Read More

30th Jan 2023
29th Jan 2023
28th Jan 2023
27th Jan 2023
26th Jan 2023
25th Jan 2023
24th Jan 2023
23rd Jan 2023
22nd Jan 2023
21st Jan 2023
20th Jan 2023
16th Jan 2023
15th Jan 2023
14th Jan 2023
06th Jan 2023

 

 

Articles

Meet: Guvna B
Meet: Housefires
‘We are here for you.’ A statement from UCB’s CEO, David L’Herroux.