Fruit Inspector

^"But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness. gentleness, self-control" (Gal. 5:22-23, Amp).

We, as shoppers, inspect items carefully before we purchase them. This is especially true before purchasing fruit or other produce. Whether we are in the grocery store, a farmer's market, or at a local fruit stand, we browse, observe, touch, inspect, and even smell the fruit before we make our final selections. We want to make sure the fruit is not over ripe, bruised, or beginning to rot or mold. We select what looks perfect for us and our family. I was once shopping for produce inspecting my own fruit, when I noticed another shopper inspecting their potential fruit with a hand magnifying glass. I have to say that this intrigued me, since I, myself, was relying on just my eyes or in some cases with the aid of my readers. However, this got me to thinking about becoming a true inspector of fruit - a Fruit of the Spirit Inspector that is. I made a decision that day to make a conscious effort to inspect the fruit of the Spirit in my own life each day.

In my journal, before going to bed, I began to reflect over my day to determine whether or not the Fruit of the Spirit had been reflected in my life. This helped me to inspect and then focus on which fruit I needed to display in my life for the next day. Also, during this reflection time, I was able to clearly see the blessings I received throughout my day. This motivated me to work on being the best fruit inspector I could be.

I encourage you to stay in step with the Spirit. Pray and ask Him to help you display His Fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. God's Spirit creates and distributes these characteristics throughout your day. Learn to sense them so you will know that you are walking in the Spirit. You will soon notice when you are lacking the fruit and feel that you are out of step with the Spirit. Seek to walk in the Spirit and respond to the promptings He will give you. Walk in faithful obedience, crave His fruit, and become a humble fruit inspector for yourself. The display of His fruit of the Spirit will shine brightly in and through you. You will be able to radiate pure joy as a tribute to Jesus! Go today and inspect the Fruit!

Dear heavenly Father, we lift up our praises to You. Thank You for providing us with spiritual nourishment by the Your Fruit of Your Spirit. May we display Your fruit daily in our lives to glorify You and to reflect Jesus. May we encourage others to partake of Your fruit. Thank you for Jesus. In His name we pray, Amen.