Summer Fruits

by melissa bradshaw

Summer! The dictionary defines summer as “the warmest season of the year, occurring after spring and before autumn.”

Summer officially begins in late June. If you had to define summer, how would you do so? You might say summer is the time you look most forward to—the end of school and the start of vacation time. Maybe it’s a season filled with travel and adventure. Or maybe it’s all about swimming at a local pool, water park, or beach. Whatever your personal definition, one thing is clear: summer is a time many people enjoy.

One of my favorite things about summer is all the delicious fruit that comes into season. I like berries, such as strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, along with fruit like peaches, watermelon, and cantaloupe, to name just a few. What’s your favorite summer fruit? Do you have a favorite way to enjoy these fruits, like in a smoothie or a fruit salad?

The Bible talks about various fruits, such as grapes, figs, pomegranates, dates, apples, and melons. But it also speaks of another kind of fruit. In Galatians 5:22, 23, the apostle Paul describes the “fruit of the Spirit” as being love, joy, peace, longsuffering (patience), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

These fruits don’t grow on trees like peaches or on a vine like watermelons. Instead, they are qualities that grow in the life of someone who is connected to Jesus and is being led by the Holy Spirit.

When Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount, He spoke about knowing people by their fruits. Jesus wasn’t referring to the types of fruits they grew or enjoyed eating. He was teaching us that our relationship with Him goes beyond just saying we love Him, to actually putting that love into action. When we truly love Jesus, and when He lives in our hearts, our words will be kind; our actions will be gentle; we will be loving and patient, and practice self-control. These are the kinds of fruits that God wants to see in our lives.

Just as the fruit we eat nourishes our bodies, the fruit of the Spirit nourishes our connection with Jesus and helps us become more like Him. As you stay connected to Jesus and follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit will be seen in your life, and you will reflect Jesus to others.

This article is provided by My Place with Jesus, a ministry of It is Written, a Christian media ministry based in Chattanooga, Tennessee that has been proclaiming the message of God’s love since 1956. Check out more fun and games on the My Place with Jesus website!