Bearing Fruit
A Recap of the Fruit of the Spirit in Missional Enterprise
Over the past nine months, we’ve explored how the Fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22–23 can grow in the lives of business owners, shape the culture of their organizations, and impact the communities they serve. Here’s a look back—consider revisiting one or two articles you missed or want to reflect on again.
In the Introduction to the Series, Fruitful Work, we reflected on how the Fruit of the Spirit offers a rich picture of what it looks like when our businesses bear lasting, eternal fruit—not just profit, but people and communities transformed.
Midway through the series, the article Fruit Buffet? emphasized the principle that the Fruit of the Spirit isn’t a pick-and-choose list—we’re called to grow in all of them as we abide in Christ.
Nine Aspects of the Fruit, One by One:
- Love: Love at Work — We explored how the greatest fruit of all flows from God’s love through us into every business relationship.
- Joy: The Joy of the Lord — Joy isn’t surface-level positivity, but a Spirit-given strength that sustains us through hardship.
- Peace: Peace I Leave With You — We considered how to pursue God’s peace in the chaos and pressure of missional business life.
- Patience: Patience in Missional Enterprise and The Unrivaled Prince of Patience — Like farmers waiting for rain, we are called to patience as we trust God amid delays, injustice, and uncertainty.
- Kindness: Be Kind and Go and Do the Same — The kindness of the Good Samaritan challenges us to love inconveniently and compassionately in daily business decisions.
- Goodness: Put to the Test and Tectonic Goodness — Two biblical Josephs, one in Egypt and one in Jesus’ family, showed us how goodness is revealed in trials and transformation.
- Faithfulness: Well Done and Of Whom the World Was Not Worthy — Faithfulness means staying the course, even when results are unseen or uncelebrated on this side of eternity.
- Gentleness: Gentleness in Leadership and Evident to All — We explored how gentleness is not weakness but Spirit-empowered strength, essential in both conflict and communication.
- Self-Control: Self-Control in Missional Enterprise and Crouching At Your Door — Self-control is both a gift and a discipline, and we contrasted Cain’s fall with Christ’s victory in facing temptation.
As we wrap up this series, we’re reminded of Jesus’ words:
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5 (ESV)
May we abide deeply in God—His Word, His love, His Spirit—trusting that He will produce fruit that lasts in and through our lives and businesses.