The Fruit of the Spirit is...joy...

In our ladies class on Wednesday nights we have been discussing the Fruits of the Spirit found in Galatians 5. In mulling these over, I wonder if Paul is talking not about things we do internally, but things that are external. For instance, kindness, gentleness, love, etc. are things we do for others not necessarily for ourselves. We bear fruit as Christians - see John 15 - and like fruit on a tree is seen and able to be picked by others, maybe these Fruits of the Spirit are similar. I started thinking specifically about how we define joy. There are many places in the Bible where joy is mentioned (see especially Philippians among others) and it usually does refer to internal joy. But, I wonder if in this instance Paul is referring to having joy for others to see.

This thought has come at an interesting time of year for me. There is always a day in mid-December when I tell Chad that I am DONE shopping for the year. Not done as in finished, but DONE as in can't take it any more. It's not the crowds, it's not waiting in lines, it's the grouchy people who glare at me and my children that send me home to hibernate. I try really hard not to be like that - I've always been told that a smile from you might be the only Jesus people see in a day, maybe the only smile they get. Glare-y, grouchy people are certainly not displaying their fruit of joy.

Here's praying that we will all remember to allow others to receive nourishment from the fruit we bear, show your Joy!