What the Holy Spirit revealed to me about the Fruit of the Spirit
Last year in January, while I was doing a Bible plan on walking with the Spirit, the Holy Spirit began revealing something beautiful to me about our relationship with Him. As I read and reflected on Scripture, I began to understand that the Holy Spirit is not only present to guide or correct us. He desires something deeper.
It was revealed to me that the Holy Spirit wants to have fellowship with us.
The word fellowship originates from the Greek word koinonia, which means holding something in common. It comes from the Greek root koinos, meaning common or shared.
When I learned this, it made me pause and ask an important question:
What do the Holy Spirit and humanity have in common?
The answer is God.
In John 16:13, Jesus explains that the Holy Spirit speaks what He hears. When I read this, it became clear to me that the Holy Spirit is already in communication with God. He listens to the Father and then reveals what He hears to us. That is why He is called our Helper. He is not separate from God; He is part of the Holy Trinity.
This helped me understand something important: the Holy Spirit does not simply come to perform a function in our lives. He comes to walk with us in relationship.
For many of us, when we think about the Holy Spirit, we immediately think about conviction – the way He corrects us or makes us aware of sin. But as I reflected on this more deeply, it was revealed to me that conviction is not the primary gift of the Holy Spirit.
The primary gift of the Holy Spirit is relationship.
Conviction is simply a result of a relationship. When we walk closely with Him and remain in fellowship with Him, He lovingly shapes our hearts and guides us toward what is right.
As I continued studying and reflecting, I read something that deepened this understanding even further.
In Galatians 5:22–23, the Apostle Paul talks about the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
When I read this passage, something stood out to me. Scripture does not say fruits of the Spirit. It says fruit of the Spirit. There are nine different characteristics listed, yet they are described as one fruit.
As I sat with this passage, it was revealed to me that this fruit is not the fruit of my own effort.
Fruit does not come from striving; it comes from growth.
A tree does not struggle to produce fruit. It does not wake up and decide to try harder. It simply grows, remains rooted, and over time fruit appears.
In the same way, as we grow in the Spirit, the Holy Spirit produces fruit in our lives. That fruit carries nine beautiful characteristics that begin to shape and tame our character.
And this brought me back to the revelation about fellowship.
Because the primary gift of the Holy Spirit is communion, and communion leads to intimacy, intimacy naturally produces fruit.
This realization shifted my perspective. Instead of focusing all my effort on trying to perfect my character, I began to understand that my role is simply to grow in relationship with the Holy Spirit.
- The fruit is His work.
- The growth of intimacy produces it.
As I continued reflecting on these truths, another important lesson began to unfold in my heart.
Life filled with the Holy Spirit is not me trying to live for God. Instead, it is allowing the Holy Spirit to live through me.
Character develops when we surrender to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to work in us.
But often, we fall into the habit of striving. The word striving comes from an Old French origin that carries meanings such as to struggle, to quarrel, or to fight to accomplish something. When we strive spiritually, we rely on ourselves to produce a character that we believe is good.
However, what we produce through our own effort is not always what is truly good in the Lord’s eyes.
Striving can actually create distance between us and the work the Holy Spirit desires to do within us. In a way, striving shuns the Holy Spirit. The word shun, which originates from Middle English, means to avoid out of fear.
When we rely only on ourselves, we unintentionally avoid the very help the Holy Spirit offers us.
But the life of the Spirit is different.
It is not built on striving.
It is built on surrender.
Surrender produces the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Just as children are the natural result of intimacy, the fruit of the Spirit is the natural result of intimacy with the Holy Spirit. When communion with Him deepens, transformation begins to take place in ways we could never accomplish on our own.
This is why the invitation is not to try harder, but to yield more deeply.
The Holy Spirit is the one who leads us into holiness. Therefore, I am not using the Holy Spirit as a tool to become holy. Instead, I am wholly surrendered to Him, and His fruit produces holiness in me. I would encourage you to do the same.
And just as the fruit of the Spirit is one fruit with many characteristics, that fruit works on the many different characteristics within us although we are one body.
For example, if someone tends to struggle with anger, the Holy Spirit begins producing love in that area. Where there is impatience, He produces patience. Where there is fear or instability, He produces peace and self-control.
Little by little, through fellowship, communion, and surrender, the Holy Spirit shapes us from the inside out.
So if you ever feel discouraged in your walk with God, remember this gentle truth: the goal is not to become a person who tries harder to be good. The goal is to become a person who walks closely with the Holy Spirit.
I would love to hear your feedback and thoughts on this. Be sure to leave a comment!
Love, Upendo.
