Fiona Veitch Smith

Over the next few months I’ll be posting a series on the Fruit of the Spirit that I wrote for King’s Cross Training’s Faith Station devotional. This is the first…

A spiritual MOT

Metaphors are wonderful things. They are images that help us understand deep concepts and ideas. In this series we will be looking at the image of fruit to illustrate some characteristics of the Christian life. But before we do that, I thought it would be helpful to use another metaphor. Over the next few months you will be getting a spiritual MOT or ‘road worthy’. When you take your car in to be checked the authorised agent has a list of things that should work, which your vehicle is judged against. If your old rust bucket doesn’t pass the test it will not be allowed on the road as it would be a danger to other road users.

The check list

Our check list comprises qualities that a Christian should have in increasing measure as they mature in the faith. If you don’t have them or they’re not very evident in your life, you could actually be a danger to other people on the road of faith. A lack of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:21-22) will make you a dangerous and unpleasant person to be around and a bad advertisement for God.

An absence of these things will not leave a vacuum. Rather, where the good fruit don’t flourish, the weeds will: ‘sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissentions, factions and envy, drunkenness, orgies and the like.’ (Galatians 5:19-21).

Growing by grace

However, each of us grow at different rates and God deals uniquely with us. If you have not been a Christian for very long and the fruit is not too visible, have grace on yourself: God does. Getting back to the gardening metaphor: a seed has to be planted then nurtured. Fertiliser has to be dug into the soil and the right conditions of light and moisture need to be present. If things start growing in the wrong direction you will be pruned and brought back on track. If you have been a Christian for a long time and there is still no growth you need to take a serious look at yourself. But remember, this is not something you can achieve by hard work yourself, the Fruit are grown by God; you simply need to co-operate with Him. Happy gardening.