Fruit Inventory

I once heard of a comparison between two people: an abrasive Christian and a likable atheist. Regardless of beliefs, most people would be attracted to the likable person rather than the abrasive person. This is just common sense.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” -Galatians 5:22-23

But yet, as Christians, this doesn’t always make sense to us. Shouldn’t the abrasive person become filled with the Holy Spirit, and be more joyful than the atheist? If our beliefs are correct, giving your life to Christ should change you into a new creation, better than you were before. So what gives?

The answer is that we are all human, and no one is perfect. Maybe the abrasive Christian is much less abrasive than if he/she were not a Christian. Maybe the atheist naturally has a likable personality. Whatever the case, neither one of them are perfect.

Think about the nine attributes listed in Galatians 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Which ones come easy to you? Which ones are a struggle? Which ones do you most often forget? Chances are you’re more gifted with some of these than with others. Pray about the attributes that give you trouble. If a few are tough for you, it doesn’t mean there’s something wrong, it means your strengths are with something else. Thank God for your strengths and pray about those that are a struggle and ask God to work on those areas you are weak.