By Andrew Williams
Opening Prayer
Holy Spirit, shape our character to be more like Jesus, and help us to measure our growth by Your fruit, not by our own performance.
Today’s Scripture (NLT)
Galatians 5:22-23
“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”
After a week of focusing on the disciplines of growth, it’s crucial that we end by focusing on the right metric. It is easy to fall into the trap of measuring our spiritual maturity by performance: How many chapters of the Bible did I read? How many minutes did I pray? How many times did I serve at church? While those activities are good, they are not the goal. They are the means to the goal.
The true measure of spiritual growth is character. The ultimate goal is not to do more things for God, but to become more like God. This is why the Fruit of the Spirit is the ultimate scorecard for our growth.
Are you more loving than you were last year? Are you more patient with your family? Do you have more peace in the face of uncertainty? Are you kinder in your words? Are you more self-controlled in your habits? This is what truly matters. The disciplines of reading, praying, and serving are like the trellis, but the fruit of a Christ-like character is the prize that grows on it.
Disciples’ Life Tip: Do a character check. Read through the nine fruits of the Spirit slowly. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you which one is growing well in you, and which one needs the most attention. Thank Him for the growth, and ask for His help in the area that is lacking.
Closing Prayer: Lord, save us from performance-based religion. Help us to focus on what truly matters: a transformed character that looks more and more like Jesus. Produce your fruit in us, we pray. Amen.
