"You're so Fruit!" (as my good friend says)

I am seated in the airport now with me Americana coffee and some fancy organic fruit and nut bar. I prefer to be in control of my breakfast ingredients, but when I have to be at the airport by 6:30, I don't really nitpick. I love granola bars but by the time I read the nutritional value, I realize that I may as well have eaten a candybar. This one made better claims. It is supposed to be nothing but whole grains, nuts and fruit. Obviously, I enjoyed it, and it set my mind on thoughts of the binding ingredients. Usually, these things are bound by scads of sugar. What held this little treat together? The fruit.

That is interesting. We are all aware of the fruit that the Holy Spirit is bringing out in our lives. There is "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control." (Galatians 5:22-23) These things are displayed in our lives in a way that enables us to interact with others in a Christ-like fashion. This fruit is the very thing that binds us together.

We know that we share the common bond of Christ, but sometimes we find personal differences to be difficult to navigate. In these times, it us the fruit of the Spirit that has brought us to a place where our unity is sweet.

If you want to use fruit as a binding agent, a boiling and crushing must take place. We don't receive this fruit simply to display it in a beautiful bowl; rather, this is given that we might share one with another.  Living together and working together is not always an easy task.  Sometimes, it is the very thing that brings the boiling and the crushing!  If we don't have the binding of the Spirit of God in our lives, all that is left is a pile of (sour) grapes, flakes and nuts.  But mixed with the fruit of the presence of God, we are bound together in a pleasing fashion.  Thus, the granola bar!

Over the past few days, I've given much thought to the absence of the fruit of the Spirit.  If this fruit is not present, what remains is hatred, bitterness and apathy along with depression, stress, strife, impatience, mean-spiritedness, rough manner, bad character, infidelity and a lack of control.  Wow.  That leaves a bitter taste, doesn't it? In fact, some of these things strike a little too close to home, don't they? 

I would much rather yield my life to the minor and temporary crushing so that God's character and Spirit can shine through in my life.  I am huge fan of a really good granola bar!  And I welcome the fruit of the Spirit in my life so that I can experience wonderful fellowship with everyone around me.