Fruit and Gifts

Lately I have been thinking alot about the fruits of the Spirit verses the gifts of the Spirit.



A fruit is the product of what is cultivated.

A gift is freely given by the Lord and is ours to receive or reject.



So - fruit of the Spirit is something that can be grown and cultivated only through the vine, Jesus Christ (John 15) and is affected by our surroundings/environment/choices. Fruit flourishes under the right conditions or dies. It can also look good on the outside but inside be worthless.



The gifts of the Spirit is something that God gives us freely to further His kingdom and is ours either to receive and use for His kingdom or to hoard and be selfish with. It's a gift to use to further the Kingdom not something we are supposed to sit on and keep for ourselves. I think a gift shared and given to others is so beautiful.