Scripture is incredibly intentional. Every word matters. When Paul writes to the Galatians about how to live, his instructions are to walk, not run, by the Spirit. That word matters. Living the Christian life is a step-by-step reality. Over the next 40 days (well now 39) we will discover those steps.

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

Galatians 5:16-17

What Paul begins to set up here is a tug-of-war, one that begins when you give your life to Christ and never ends. Our flesh is our sinful nature, which will never not be sinful. We sin without trying. We are born with the capacity to sin and never lose that capacity. When we come to faith in Christ, the Spirit of Christ comes to live within us. And the war begins.

Maybe you’ve experienced that already today. You got up with great intentions, but lost your cool on the way to work. Maybe your kids were difficult this morning and you were short with them, and felt guilty as soon as you dropped them off. We are too good at sinning. That’s what Paul means by the phrase, “to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” Enter the Holy Spirit. His work is to change our desires so that they align with His, and when that happens he produces fruit.

We will eventually focus on the specific fruit of the Spirit, but before we do it’s imperative that we understand that we cannot produce this fruit by ourselves. If we could we wouldn’t need the Spirit. He is at work in you (even now!) to produce fruit. And just as an apple tree jumping up and down, waving its limbs won’t produce apples, you can’t work yourself into spiritual fruit bearing. The Spirit resides in you to do that.

Here’s how you can pray through this: Father, I thank you that you, by your grace, saved me…knowing what a sinner I am and how I desperately need your grace. I thank you that you did not leave me to myself, to live this life alone, but gave me the Holy Spirit who lives in me, to produce fruit that I cannot produce. So Father I surrender to you. Your Spirit is free to work in me to make me loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, gentle, faithful and self-controlled. As I walk (not run) by the Spirit today, help me to keep in step with the One who lives inside me, not to get ahead of you, nor to lag behind. In Jesus’ strong name. Amen.

It has been often said that we only need to be faithful, that God honors faithfulness. And he does! But what about fruitfulness? It was about three years ago that I came across this idea that became a paradigm shift for me. God wants my faithfulness, but he also is into my fruitfulness. As a matter of fact, “be fruitful and multiply” was among his first commands to the very first couple. And Jesus’ words from John 15 bear this out:

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:1-15, ESV)

–Jesus

Jesus is into fruit-bearing. So for the next 40 days, we’re going to focus on the fruit of the Spirit. What does it look like to produce fruit. How do we produce fruit? What are the fruit? You’ll read a daily devo written by members of the Grace family, with a prayer prompt. We’ll begin on Ash Wednesday and end on Good Friday…and hopefully by then, be able to see the first signs of fruit. I’m so excited for you to join me on this journey!

Here’s our prayer prompt. You continue praying as the Lord leads you.

Lord Jesus, I long to be faithful and I want to be fruitful. I so want you (most importantly), and others to see the fruit of the Spirit and to know by that fruit that I walk with you, Lord Jesus, that I am a child of the King. May love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control characterize my life. And Lord Jesus you know I seem to struggle most with _________________ (which aspect of the fruit of the Spirit do you struggle with?). I can’t wait to see what you’re doing to do in and through me.