03/03/2026
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Year # 4 Entry 63 and our faith Grows! ( # 1,158)
Engaging The Holy Spirit Every Day
Pursue the Fruit, Not Just the Gifts
Many believers focus on spiritual gifts. Scripture certainly teaches that gifts matter. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul explains that the Spirit distributes gifts as He wills for the building up of the Church. Yet when Paul turns to the evidence of spiritual maturity, he points us somewhere even deeper.
In Galatians 5:22–23, he writes: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”Gifts may reveal ability but Fruit reveals character.
It is possible to be spiritually gifted and yet spiritually immature. That is why Paul places the great chapter on love, 1 Corinthians 13, at the very center of his teaching on gifts. Without love, even the most impressive gift is reduced to noise. If we truly desire to engage the Holy Spirit daily, we must pursue not only what He empowers us to do, but what He forms within us.
We engage the Spirit when we:
* Choose patience when irritated.
* Choose gentleness when criticized.
* Choose self-control when tempted.
* Choose peace when anger and violence surround us.
* Choose kindness when indifference and cruelty seem to prevail.
* Choose love when division and hatred abound.
This is not behavior modification. It is cooperation. Fruit cannot be manufactured. It grows. And it grows where surrender, obedience, and abiding meet the Spirit’s transforming power. Jesus said in John 15:5, “Apart from Me you can do nothing.” The branch does not strain to produce fruit; it remains connected to the vine.
Perhaps you find some of these transformed behaviors difficult in a world where division seems to define us. If so, take heart. The Holy Spirit is not only our Empowerer; He is our Teacher and Guide. And often, He uses mature believers to help us see what we cannot see in ourselves. Mature believers can often serve as a coach for those of us who struggle; especially those who find it difficult to apply the fruits in their professional lives.
Scripture reminds us in Hebrews 10:24 to “spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” God never intended for us to grow alone. Wise counsel, accountability, and Spirit-filled encouragement are gifts of grace. Even the most spiritually gifted among us can experience lapses in fruitful behavior. But the evidence of true spiritual growth is not flawless performance; it is a steady return to the Spirit’s work within us. The world is not changed by giftedness alone.
It is changed by Spirit-formed character. As you engage the Holy Spirit today, ask not only, “What gift has He given me?” but also, “What fruit is He growing in me?” For where the Spirit rules, fruit follows.
Our Prayer: Father in Heaven, Thank You for the gift of Your Holy Spirit, who not only empowers us for service but transforms us from within. Forgive us for the times we have sought gifts more than growth, and ability more than character. Holy Spirit, cultivate Your fruit in us today. Grow love where there is irritation. Grow peace where there is anger. Grow patience where there is frustration. Grow kindness and gentleness where harshness once lived. Strengthen our self-control when we are tempted. Teach us to abide in Christ and to cooperate with Your work in our hearts. Use wise and faithful believers to encourage and sharpen us, and help us welcome correction with humility. May our lives reflect not just what we can do for You, but who we are becoming in You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
