Fruit Buffet?
Avoiding a Pick-and-Choose Approach to the Spirit's Fruit
As leaders of missional enterprises, we are called to embody the Fruit of the Spirit in our work: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We are in a series on these different aspects of the Fruit of the Spirit, and while we often approach these characteristics individually, it’s important to remember that the Bible speaks of the “fruit” of the Spirit in the singular. It is one, unified work of God’s Spirit, not a buffet from which we pick and choose.
Yet, how often do we treat the fruit like a buffet? Each of us has aspects that seem to come more naturally while others remain a struggle. But the fruit is not a reflection of our effort, personality, or gifting. It is entirely a work of God’s Spirit within us.
Consider three missional enterprise leaders who take a buffet approach to the fruit of the Spirit:
Susan is a skilled and kind leader who avoids harsh interactions with her employees. However, her team feels a lack of genuine connection. Love and faithful friendship seem absent in her leadership.
Hank exudes energy and unshakeable calm. Yet, his peace comes at the expense of his direct reports and suppliers, as he dismisses kindness in the name of what he considers the “harsh realities of the business world.”
Tom treats others with kindness and respect and has built strong relationships. However, he carries the weight of the company heavily, living a joyless and anxious leadership existence, which affects his team’s morale.
What advice would you give to Susan, Hank, or Tom? Which one do you most identify with?
The bottom line is this: the qualities of the Fruit of the Spirit are not skills to master but evidence of God’s work in us. Jesus reminds us in John 15:5, “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.”
The focus is not on striving for fruit but on deeper abiding in Christ. As John Mark Comer puts it, “formation into the image of Jesus isn’t something we do as much as it’s something that is done to us by God himself, as we yield to his work of transforming grace.”
Let’s step away from the buffet mindset and lean fully into Christ, allowing His Spirit to cultivate a holistic fruitfulness in our lives and leadership.
Verse of the Week:
If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:25 (ESV)
Father, please empower us by your Spirit, and help us abide deeply in you, and walk in step with you this week, and in the year ahead.