The fruit of the Spirit is not a fruit that we eat, it's a fruit that grows inside of us! When we follow Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes to live in us to make us more like him. This means that we start growing the fruit of the Spirit - fruit like love, joy and peace - which is the good fruit that God wants us to have in our lives. This fruit shows that we love God, and it helps us to show his love to others. Let's check out one of the fruits of the Spirit now!
LOVE
We show people love by the things we say and do. We often want to just think about ourselves and what we want all the time but God wants us to think about others, and how we can show them his love too. When we love others we want what's best for them, even if this means giving up something ourselves sometimes. Let's check out a Bible story to help us understand more about the fruit of love.
In this Bible story Jesus is the perfect example of how to show the fruit of love. Jesus loved us so much that he died on the cross to save us so that we could be forgiven for the wrong things we do and live with God forever. Dying on the cross was very hard for Jesus and it hurt him a lot. He didn't have to do it, but he did it for us. Jesus showed his love for us by the things he said and did for us.
God wants us to be like Jesus. He wants us to choose to show God's love for other people in the things we say and do for them, even if it is difficult sometimes.
- What kind of things could you do to show God's love to others?
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Why might it be hard to do this sometimes?
When you share your sweets with your brother or sister, you are choosing to show them God's love. When you offer to help your Mum or Dad instead of playing on your tablet, you are choosing to show them the fruit of love. When you choose to help a homeless person by giving them food, or when you talk to a boy or girl at school who has no friends, then the fruit of love is in you! This is the kind of fruit that shows God's love to others. It also shows God that we love him.
Dear Lord, Thank you that when I follow Jesus, the Holy Spirit works in me to grow lots of good fruit. Thank you that Jesus showed the fruit of love perfectly when he died on the cross for me. Please help me to be like Jesus and to show your love to others by the things I say and do. Amen.
