WHAT ARE YOU FEEDING THE NEXT GENERATION?

PART 4: WHAT ARE YOU PRODUCING?

Galatians 5:22–23 (NLT)

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”

In Part 1, we asked:

WHAT ARE YOU FEEDING YOURSELF?

We learned that what we consume matters because what we feed can grow.

In Part 2, we asked:

WHAT HAPPENS INSIDE YOU?

We learned that what enters us must be processed. Hearing the Word is not enough. The Word must enter our hearts and transform our lives.

In Part 3, we asked:

WHAT IS FLOWING OUT OF YOU?

We learned that what is happening inside us will eventually find expression through our words, attitudes, decisions and actions.

Now we come to another important question:

WHAT ARE YOU PRODUCING?

Because something is always being produced by our lives.

The question is not whether your life is producing something.

The question is:

WHAT KIND OF FRUIT IS YOUR LIFE PRODUCING?

EVERY LIFE PRODUCES SOMETHING

Jesus said in Matthew 7:16:

“You can identify them by their fruit.”

Fruit makes something visible. You may not see the root of a tree, but you can see the fruit. In the same way, people may not know everything happening inside you, but eventually they will encounter the fruit of your life.

Your character produces something.

Your habits produce something.

Your words produce something.

Your decisions produce something.

Your relationships produce something.

Your spiritual life produces something.

And people around you experience the result.

This is why the Christian life is not only about what we know. It is also about what our lives produce.

THE HOLY SPIRIT PRODUCES FRUIT

Galatians 5:22–23 gives us a picture of what the Holy Spirit produces in the life of a believer:

Love.

Joy.

Peace.

Patience.

Kindness.

Goodness.

Faithfulness.

Gentleness.

Self-control.

Look carefully at the Scripture.

It does not say:

“The Holy Spirit gives you a list of things to pretend to have.”

It says:

“The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives.”

Fruit grows.

Fruit develops.

Fruit becomes visible.

Fruit takes time.

That means spiritual maturity is not simply about appearing spiritual. It is about allowing the Holy Spirit to develop Christlike character in us.

WHAT KIND OF FRUIT ARE PEOPLE RECEIVING FROM YOU?

Let us make this practical.

When people come around you, what do they experience?

Do they experience love?

Do they experience peace?

Do they experience patience?

Do they experience kindness?

Do they experience faithfulness?

Do they experience gentleness?

Do they experience self-control?

Or do they constantly experience anger, criticism, impatience, bitterness and harshness?

This is not about pretending that Christians never get angry, disappointed or frustrated.

We are human.

We have emotions.

We face pressure.

We make mistakes.

But the question is:

What is becoming the dominant fruit of your life?

LOVE

The first fruit mentioned is love.

Love is more than saying:

“I love you.”

Love is demonstrated.

Love affects how we speak.

Love affects how we forgive.

Love affects how we serve.

Love affects how we treat people who cannot benefit us.

Imagine a child growing up in a home where the child repeatedly sees love expressed through patience, sacrifice, forgiveness and service.

That child is receiving something.

The child is learning what love looks like.

Now imagine the opposite.

A child constantly sees insults, hatred, contempt and unforgiveness.

That child is also receiving something.

This is why we must take seriously what we are feeding the next generation.

JOY

Joy is another fruit.

Joy does not mean that everything is always perfect. A joyful Christian can experience difficulty and still have confidence in God.

What happens when things do not go according to plan? Does everyone around you immediately experience your frustration?Or can they still see your trust in God?

The next generation needs to see that Christian joy is not dependent on perfect circumstances.

They need to see people who can worship in difficult seasons.

PEACE

Peace is another fruit. Peace does not mean the absence of problems. It means learning to trust God in the middle of problems.

Think about the atmosphere you create around you. When you enter a room, do people feel safe? Can people speak honestly with you?

Can they make a mistake without being destroyed by your reaction?

Can your children approach you when they have a problem?

Can people see Christ in the way you handle difficult situations?

Peace is something we can feed to others through our character.

PATIENCE

Patience is especially important because people are not perfect.

Children make mistakes.

New believers make mistakes.

Employees make mistakes.

Church members make mistakes.

Even mature Christians can make mistakes.

How do you respond?

Patience does not mean ignoring wrong.

It means responding with wisdom while allowing room for growth.

If the next generation learns that every mistake deserves anger, fear and humiliation, what kind of environment are we creating?

But if they learn that correction can happen alongside patience and love, they learn something different.

KINDNESS

Kindness is often demonstrated in small things.

A kind word.

A helping hand.

A thoughtful action.

A listening ear.

A simple act of service.

Sometimes we think feeding the next generation means giving them money, property or material things.

Those things can be useful. But character is also an inheritance.

The kindness you demonstrate may become the kindness someone else learns to demonstrate.

GOODNESS

Goodness is choosing what is right and beneficial. It means integrity. It means doing what is right even when nobody is watching.

The next generation needs examples of people who can say:

“This is wrong, even if everyone else is doing it.”

They need to see that Christian character is not based on convenience. It is based on conviction.

FAITHFULNESS

Faithfulness means being dependable.

Keeping your word.

Showing up.

Serving consistently.

Remaining committed.

Being trustworthy.

Imagine what happens when children grow up seeing faithfulness in their parents.

They learn that commitments matter.

They learn that relationships require responsibility.

They learn that serving God is not something we do only when it is convenient.

Faithfulness becomes something they can observe.

GENTLENESS

Gentleness is not weakness.

A gentle person can be strong without being harsh.

A leader can correct without humiliating.

A parent can discipline without destroying.

A pastor can teach truth without treating people with contempt.

A husband can lead his home without becoming oppressive.

A Christian can stand for truth without becoming unnecessarily harsh.

The next generation needs to see this kind of strength.

SELF-CONTROL

Self-control is the ability to govern yourself.

Your words.

Your emotions.

Your desires.

Your reactions.

Your appetites.

Your decisions.

You may have the power to say something, but self-control helps you decide whether you should say it.

You may be angry, but self-control helps you choose your response.

You may have an opportunity to act wrongly, but self-control helps you walk away.

Self-control teaches the next generation that not every feeling deserves an immediate reaction.

FRUIT TAKES TIME

One important thing about fruit is that it does not appear overnight.

A farmer plants.

The seed develops.

The plant grows.

The branches develop.

Eventually, fruit appears.

The same is true of character.

Do not become discouraged because you are still growing.

Do not become proud because you have experienced some growth.

Keep allowing the Holy Spirit to work in you.