The Fruit of Surrender

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” - Galatians 5:22-25

You can fake religious activity. You can perform good deeds. You can even appear spiritual. But you cannot fake fruit.

Jesus said, “You will recognize them by their fruit” (Matthew 7:16). Not by their knowledge, or their church attendance, or their moral checklist—but by the evidence of the Spirit transforming their lives.

And here’s the thing: fruit-bearing is the inevitable byproduct of genuine surrender. You can’t white-knuckle your way into love, joy, and peace. You can’t manufacture gentleness or self-control through sheer willpower. Fruit isn’t something you achieve—it’s something the Spirit grows in you as you daily die to yourself and yield to Him.

Paul makes this clear: “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” This is the posture of surrender—putting the sinful self to death and allowing the Spirit to produce the life of Christ in you.

But fruit-bearing is not instantaneous—it’s organic. It’s slow. It requires abiding in Christ. You can’t microwave it. You can’t shortcut it. It’s cultivated through daily surrender.

Think about it:

• You don’t develop patience by avoiding difficult people—you grow it by walking in the Spirit when you’re around them.
• You don’t cultivate self-control by trying harder—you grow it by consistently yielding your impulses to the Spirit.
• You don’t become more loving by sheer effort—you become more loving as you experience the love of Christ.

The fruit of surrender is the gradual, consistent formation of Christ’s character in you. It’s the Spirit making you into someone you could never become on your own.

Reflection Questions:

• Where do you see the Spirit’s fruit growing in your life?
• What areas still feel barren, lacking evidence of His work?
• Are you abiding in Christ daily, or are you attempting to produce fruit in your own strength?

Spend time in prayer today, asking the Spirit to cultivate a specific fruit in your life. Whether it’s patience in your parenting, gentleness in your speech, or joy in your trials—ask for His power to grow what you cannot.

Then, put yourself in situations where that fruit will be tested. Do you want to grow in patience? Sit in the longer line at the store and practice gratitude. Do you want to cultivate kindness? Seek out someone difficult to love and serve them. Let the Spirit stretch you in the soil of inconvenience.

Prayer:
Holy Spirit, make me fruitful. Not with temporary, self-generated goodness, but with Your supernatural fruit. Let love, joy, peace, and patience take root and flourish in me. Prune away anything that hinders Your work. Make me a branch that abides in Christ and bears fruit that endures. Amen.