I was thinking today about fruit.
Not in a deep, theological way at first —
just in the simple, everyday sense.
Apples. Bananas. Berries.
The kind of things we reach for without much thought.
The kind of things we know are good for us…
even if we don't always choose them.
Fruit nourishes the body. It strengthens. It restores. It gives energy where there was once fatigue.
And then it hit me…
Scripture talks about fruit in another way too.
Love. Joy. Peace. Patience.
Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness.
Gentleness. Self-control.
We don't strain to manufacture fruit in our bodies.
We don't sit there willing an apple to grow from nothing.
Fruit comes from being connected to something living.
From roots. From nourishment. From remaining.
And maybe the same is true spiritually. Maybe we're not meant to force ourselves into love, or strive endlessly for patience, or feel defeated when we fall short. Maybe we're meant to stay connected — and let the fruit grow naturally from that connection.
Maybe the fruit of the Spirit isn't something we perform outwardly…— Lisa
it's something we receive inwardly.
Because when you think about it — you don't eat fruit and expect it to change you instantly. You take it in regularly. You allow your body to process it. And over time… it strengthens you.
It's interesting how fruit shows up all throughout Scripture. In the very beginning, fruit was part of a moment where humanity reached for knowledge on its own — trying to understand life apart from God. But later, we see fruit again — not as something to take, but as something that grows.
The fruit of the Spirit doesn't come from striving or grasping. It comes from staying connected. From remaining. From being rooted in something living.
So maybe today isn't about trying harder. Maybe it's about asking:
What am I taking in?
Am I feeding on peace… or stress?
On love… or fear?
On truth… or noise?
Because what we take in… eventually becomes what we carry. And slowly — gently — over time — that fruit begins to show up. Not forced. Not perfect. But real. In how we respond. In how we love. In how we hold space for others… and for ourselves.
Maybe spiritual health isn't about striving to be better.
Maybe it's about staying close enough to the Source
that the fruit has no choice but to grow.
And that — that is enough.
What have you been feeding your spirit lately — and is it nourishing the kind of fruit you want to grow? I'd love to hear from you. Drop a note, leave a prayer, or just sit with the question for a while. That's enough too.
With love and open hands,
Lisa
