Cultivating Spiritual Fruit

According to Dictionary.com, the term cultivates means basically to improve.  Cultivation in agriculture improves the growth of crops.  The term however, is not limited to the agricultural world but is used in a variety of contexts, each however meaning to improve.  If we are to bear spiritual fruit then we need to learn how we can cultivate our lives from the inside out so that we are more productive for our God.

It is here that the skeptic may say “Ah hah!  I knew you were going to talk about this subject.  It always comes down to the age old answer of a personal ‘Quiet Time.’”  True we cannot discuss spiritual growth apart from a discussion of Bible reading and prayer.  However, we can discuss our spiritual relationship to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in a way that does not make it a formula.  The Bible is God’s Word and hence his life giving instructions to us, we need to read it, study it and live it.  Prayer is the avenue of communication between us and God and we need to practice and develop that discipline. In this segment we will outline some ways to read and study the Bible.

Regularity – Over the years I have discovered that a regular habit of Bible reading and study is very important to develop.  Please don’t hear me saying you need to spend a certain amount of time each day reading your Bible.  The first key is to develop a habit.  Just as eating food for nourishment has become a routine in your life, so should spiritual intake.  The person who only opens the Bible once a week in church is the person who is spiritually malnourished and has no spiritual foundation from which to live their life.


Creativity -  We are fortunate to live in a time and in a country where resources abound.  Bible reading plans are available from www.biblegateway.com; The Gideons International, and even YouVersion, which is a free app for an iphone, as well as the Bible on CD to name a few.  How you get the Bible into your life daily is not as important as that you get the Bible into your life every day.  It must become a habit.

Where do I begin? – This is the question of many.  My simple answer is since we are to be about following Jesus, begin with the story of Jesus.  Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are a good starting point. 

But I never remember what I read? – Think fast.  What did you have for lunch last Monday?  Most of us don’t remember, but it provided nourishment at the time.  Let God’s Word touch you at the moment.  If so inclined develop a habit of writing down one lesson you learn from that days reading.

How long do I read? ­– Again habit is more important than length as you are getting started.  One rule of thumb I use is to ask God to point out to me in his Word what he wants me to see today.  Then as I read when a verse has an impact on my heart, I stop and let that verse and the teaching be part of my thoughts through the day.

This week make it a practice to get God’s Word into your life every single day.

Today’s Tip:  Make an appointment with God.  Set a specific time and place and put it on your calendar.  Keep it just as you would a business appointment, or a doctor’s appointment.

Ask a spiritual travelling companion to hold you accountable to read God’s Word.  Share with one another:

*What you read.

*What the Holy Spirit pointed out to you from the Bible.

*What adjustment(s) you may need to make to cultivate improved fruit in your life.

Spiritual Character Development (part 3)

Last week I was in class and just did not have the mental energy to give my best in posting a blog.  So there was a delay.  Here is the next posting as we continue on our journey of Following Jesus.

Wholistic is a fairly popular term these days. It means dealing with an entire system.  It is most often used in medical arenas in which the healing process involves not just the symptoms but the entire make up of who a person is.  When we examine the fruit of the Spirit as outlined in Galatians 5:22-23 we can see that God cares about the entirety of our relationships.  The first three aspects of the fruit of the Spirit reflect our relationship with God, the second three are connected to our relationships with each other and the final three, as we will see, deal with qualities of self.

The final trio of character traits is faithfulness, gentleness and self control.  When we understand these aspects of who we are to be we will see that they have an influence on every area of our life.  Who we are on the inside will determine how we live our lives on the outside.

Faithfulness – The person who is faithful is one upon whom you can depend.  When they give their word, they will see to it that they come through.  We use synonyms such as reliable and trustworthy to describe this person.  Faithfulness begins as one seeks to be the same kind of person that is seen in Jesus. One who was faithful, no matter the cost.  

Gentleness – This word is often translated meekness.  In our culture a meek person is sort of weak and mousy.  But that is not the way the term was used in the First Century.  It actually is used to describe a powerful war horse that can be guided by its rider.  It means “power under control.”  The gentle person knows how to manage authority given to them.  This person helps others feel empowered as well to accomplish tasks.  There is a unique humility to the one who is truly gentle.

Self-control – This is the quality that enables one to live a disciplined and principled life.  The self-controlled person learns to be content with what he or she has.  The self-controlled person is not typically swayed by peer pressure.  That quality of being steady comes from being focused on the fact that the most important relationship is found in Jesus Christ.  Complete dependency on Jesus leads to growing sense of self control.
Remember these are the Fruit of the Spirit. You and I cannot develop these qualities in our lives on our own by somehow trying harder.  We need to actively give our lives, our actions and our attitudes to God daily and ask him through the Holy Spirit to help us be people who reflect him to others.

Consider who you are on the inside and how it affects how you live on a daily basis.

Today’s Tip:  Evaluate your reliability, your humility and your ability to control yourself this week.

Look at your agenda for the next week.

            *What appointments do you have?  How will you work to be faithful in keeping them?

            *Who do you have authority over?  What will you do to empower them to be their best?

*What impulses do you struggle with?  Ask a friend to help you be more self-controlled?