But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:21

Fruit, wonderful fruit! Watermelon, strawberries, apples, bananas…the list of fruit that God has provided for us almost seems endless. He created fruit that not only tastes good but is good for us! He knew what we would need to keep our bodies strong and put them on the earth for us.

He also provided us with fruits of the spirit. Fruits that we should “eat” to grow into strong Christians. So let’s spend the summer diving into the fruits of the spirit basket!

Continue reading below for our first week: Love!

Love

And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Ephesians 5:2

“I love coffee.”

“I love hydrangeas.”

“I love pants with pockets.”

“I love my family.”

Our modern English society has one word for love and we use it all the time. Do I love all those things equally? Of course not! But so often I roll out “I love…” for anything I enjoy.

It’s an easy way to describe how much we like something or someone. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying your morning coffee but it probably shouldn’t be placed in the same category as loving your family (although sometimes you may need coffee in the morning to help you get loving your family).

So there needs to be better descriptive words like:

“Coffee is my favourite beverage in the morning.”

“Hydrangeas are beautiful.”

“Pants with pockets are a wardrobe must have.”

But of course, “I love my family.”

The same goes for our love for God and his love for us. It’s a different kind of love than what we have for our earthly things. His love is deeper and wider and beyond our understanding.

He made the ultimate sacrifice for us out of love. He protects us everyday out of love. He wants us to live because he loves us.

One of the best ways to show others this love is by telling them! Especially our families and kids. Since we use the word “love” so frequently we need to describe our love to our children.

I don’t want my kids to think I love him the same way I “love” Wendy’s Frosty. I want them to know I love them from the bottom of my heart. I want them to feel surrounded and safe by my love. Just like the love that their holy father offers them.

So take some time this week to think about what you love and how else you could describe it. Then show and/or tell your loved ones how much you love them, just as God loves you!

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