Galatians 5:22-25.....

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit"

Everyone would like to have those things listed above.....love, joy, peace, etc. But have you ever noticed that these things are in short supply in our world? Why? Well, let's look at this scripture more closely. They are called the fruit of the Spirit--so--how do you get fruit? (Please don't say you just go down to the supermarket and buy it!) Fruit has to be grown! And in order to get fruit--you have to plant seeds! You see--the world is in bad shape because not enough people are planting seeds. We look around and criticize the bad fruit in the world--we really just need to plant more good seeds!

What Seeds Shall We Plant?

The seeds we need to plant for a harvest of the fruit of the Spirit are forgiveness, gentleness, love, kindness. Once you begin to practice these things, you are sowing a spiritual seed and eventually you will be living in the fruit of the spirit. Forgiveness does not always come easily, but if we make an effort and keep on making an effort, it will get easier and easier. Forgiving others who offend us, quickly, will bring us peace and self control. These are the fruits of the spirit and how to obtain and keep them. They do not always come automatically, we need to be sowing for them. When we finally reap a harvest, we will know it, and have the victory over self that God intends. This is how we get transformed into His image, so lets do it today.

James 3:17-18.....

"But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace."

We can see from the book of James that wisdom from God is full of good fruit, and the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace, of them that make peace. We make the peace, we make the effort, it's our call, then God has promised to do His part .

Hebrews 12:15... "Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;"

Just another thought--the root of bitterness grows one ugly tree!