What Kind of Fruit is Growing in Your Life? Part 1

Life often, in an ironic sort of way, reveals what's going on inside us. It's easy to be patient when lounging in a Tommy Bahama beach chair watching the waves roll in, but what happens when you find yourself in traffic, racing the clock, and someone in front of you is driving well below the speed limit in the “fast lane?”

The apostle Paul was concerned about what he might find on a visit to the church in Corinth in his second letter to them.

“For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder.” 2 Corinthians 12:20

What does your life produce when you're squeezed?

In these situations, does your life resemble one led by the Holy Spirit?

“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 5:22-23

Or a life dictated by circumstances that reverts to worldly responses? Paul wasn’t merely giving the Corinthians a list of “bad things Christians shouldn’t do”; he was concerned about their overall spiritual and heart condition. Were they living a life led by the Holy Spirit?

Are we living lives led by the Holy Spirit? Or are we quick to engage in conflict? Do we play the comparison game, or do we have uncontrolled fits of rage? Maybe we are selfish, seeking comfort above all. Maybe we cannot stand to see others succeed. Or perhaps we are just too prideful to allow the peace of God to intersect our lives.

Whatever it may be, the fruit of our lives eventually becomes visible. Fruit isn’t forced into existence; it grows from what the tree is. Our words, reactions, and attitudes reveal what kind of tree we are.

Pressure has a way of revealing us. I know for me, when life is going off the rails, I can struggle with thinking the best of and wanting the best for others. Everyone has a hidden motive against me; or maybe it’s that I am secretly rooting against someone.

Those written words are convicting. And that’s Paul’s point—are we comfortable with the worldly reaction and not willing to repent? Or are we convicted and repentant?

“You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.” Matthew 7:16-20

The Worldly “Fruit” Paul Warns About

Quarreling — When Everything Becomes a Fight

There is a difference between a healthy disagreement, with a quick, peaceful “agree to disagree,” and a constant need to argue.

Are you, like me, prone to get into arguments and get to the place where you forget what you’re arguing about and do everything to win the argument?

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Matthew 5:9

Jealousy — When Someone Else’s Blessing Feels Like Our Loss

The comparison game never looks backwards or below; it’s always comparing against what we don’t have. The lack of contentment in God’s provision and blessing for us can make us obsessed with all that we think we need and don’t have.

“A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot.” Proverbs 14:30

Anger — When Hurt Becomes a Weapon

There are times when anger is appropriate. We should be troubled by injustice. We should care when people are mistreated. We should be angry when something is genuinely wrong. Even Jesus showed anger when God's house was being dishonored. In fact, Paul acknowledges that anger will come:

"Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil." Ephesians 4:26-27

The problem is that righteous anger can become something else surprisingly quickly.

Imagine someone hurts us. Suddenly, we aren’t peacemakers. No, we are now solely focused on making sure they hurt as well.

Selfish Ambition — When “My Way” Matters Most

We usually picture selfish ambition as someone stepping on everyone else to get to the top. It can be much quieter than that. It can show up in a marriage when we always need things done our way. It can show up at work when we need the credit. It can show up in church when we need recognition. It can even show up while we're serving others.

Sometimes, we aren’t asking, “What does God want?” but rather, “How do I make this work to my benefit?”

Paul, in his letter to the church in Philippi, has a radically different standard:

"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." Philippians 2:3-4

Selfish ambition says, "How does this benefit me?"

Whereas biblical humility asks, "How does this affect the people around me?"

The answer isn't to stop having goals, opinions, or desires. It's to hold them with open hands. We work hard but don’t need everyone to notice or applaud. We lead without needing to micromanage every detail. We can serve in virtual anonymity.

We know who sees all that we do and the heart motives.

Slander and Gossip — The Damage We Do With Our Tongues

Gossip can sound remarkably innocent. We just have to talk. How about this classic?

"I'm only telling you because I'm concerned about them."

We've probably all heard some version of it. And if we're honest, we've probably participated in it, too.

Rumors travel fast and grow a life of their own with each iteration. Careless comments can change the perception of a person.

Paul gives us a high standard:

"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." – Ephesians 4:29

Not merely, “don’t say bad things,” but rather, let all talk be good for building up, fitting the moment, and perpetuating grace.

James reminds us of the power of the tongue:

"So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!" James 3:5-6

Practically, we should ask the following question before we repeat something about someone else: Would I say this if that person were standing right here?

Arrogance — When We Know We Have It Figured Out

We've decided what happened, and we know all the details—why they did it, what they should have done, and what they should have done differently. Pride is bold enough to convince us we know what God is doing.

Scripture gives us a blunt warning:

"Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." Proverbs 16:18

The antidote isn't pretending we don't have convictions. Christians should have convictions. We should believe things, stand for things, and be willing to say when something is wrong.

Humility simply leaves room for the possibility that we might be wrong about something.

Paul points us directly toward Jesus:

"Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself..." Philippians 2:5-7

Jesus had no reason to prove Himself. He didn't need to dominate a room to establish His authority. He didn't need to win every argument.

Humility makes us teachable. Being teachable allows room for God to work and grow us to look more like Jesus.

Disorder — When Our Inner Life Falls Out of Alignment

When we hear the word "disorder," we think about a chaotic scene or a desk filled with papers and no organization.

I think Paul's primary concern here is a church community where unhealthy attitudes and relationships have begun to produce unhealthy behavior. It’s a pattern of quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfish ambition, gossip, arrogance, and disorder.

That's why spiritual health isn't just about what happens between us and God. Eventually, what's happening inside us affects the people around us.

We can say we're at peace with God while constantly sparring with everyone else. We can look spiritually mature on the outside while our relationships tell a very different story.

That's the uncomfortable part of Paul's warning.

Our faith is actionable. It shows up in how we treat people.

Our lives will get messy. The question is whether we’re allowing God to bring our inner life into alignment with Him. That change should affect the way we treat people.

So far, we’ve looked at the kind of fruit that can grow when we let anger, jealousy, selfishness, pride, and our own desires take over. It’s not flattering. To be honest, I see way more of these “fruits” in myself than I like. But Paul doesn’t leave us there. There’s another kind of fruit, another way of living, and it doesn’t come from pulling ourselves up by the bootstraps and trying to be a better person. It comes from the Spirit of God working in us.

So, what does that fruit look like—and what happens when we allow Him to grow it?

Check out Part II on Thursday, September 3rd.