A closer look

At the grocery store I was recently mesmerized by the glistening red strawberries. As I drew near I saw the different sizes and options available. Picking one box up I noticed an unpleasant look of soon to be spoiled, overripe strawberries. Each container, not mattering the size, had the same problem. A little disappointed I left without strawberries.

Walking into a different store I anticipated a different result. This batch didn’t seem as worse as the first but also wasn’t the most pleasing to the eye. Looking into the basket you could identify one or two softer strawberries. This indication was that soon all would spoil over or perhaps the unpleasant juice and softness of one would effect the ones around it. A little hesitant I purchased a small basket, threw out the unpleasant one and brought them home.

Instantly I felt the tug of the Holy Spirit in my heart, a revelation from above. The Lord comes down expecting a beautiful harvest but often finds spoiled over, rotten fruit in our lives that isn’t pleasing to the eye nor to the people around us. From afar we can have the bright image but upon closer inspection there is a serious problem.

The fruit of the spirit are evident as well as the works of flesh. The works of flesh lead to death and decay. Not only should we not compromise our heart posture before the Lord but we must walk and surround ourselves with those who will sharpen us.

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

Psalms 1:1

If we surround ourselves with the wrong crowd, the things that pour out of them will ultimately effect us, maybe not today but with time we will feel the effects of it. If gossip, hatred, works of the flesh, negativity and the likes are evident in the relationships we are in, then that is our time to take a moment before the Lord and ask for discretion.

More so, the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, faithfulness, patience, kindness, gentleness and self control. Perhaps the basket of fruit is yours wholly. Most of it is good, some is bad, will it really matter? The Lord who has redeemed you and I calls us to live like children of the most high, separated for good works, full of the spirit and life. He sees the unpleasant fruit in our walk before Him and He is in the process of sanctifying us and cleansing us of the aspects that will hinder us. Relayed in my own words, we learn that, If we have the gifts of the Spirit but do not love we are nothing.

You may be talented in many things and praise God for it but if the fruit of the Spirit isn’t in the midst it is just rotten fruit. How much the Lord desires for you and I to be the perfect batch of fruit, cleansed, ripe and a bountiful blessing to those around us.

Let’s strive to be pleasing to the Lord in all we do, with attitude and heart posture being forefront of our minds. It’s not so much what we do as to how we do it. May the Lord bless us all as we learn to live Christ in us first and allow the Spirit to lead us.