What is Life Giving

The fruit we bear in our spiritual life is a direct reflection of what we perceive as life giving.  The spiritual fruit about which the Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Galatians is the result of a Holy Spirit dependent life.  While we may be able to manufacture love or kindness in a given situation, it is impossible for such to be expressed in an ego centered life  during those unguarded moments of our life. 

The same truth is evident as we come to the 15th chapter of John and hear the Apostle talking about the vine and branch connection.  When Jesus is the life giving connection what is going to expressed in our outward life is going to be more reflective of His heart than our heart.  Both of these sections of Scripture tell us that our outward expressions are directly related to the One who dwells within us.  What we cannot produce comes forth naturally as the Spirit is allowed to lead and control our inner life.   

So much of our self created trouble comes from a heart that is more concerned with pleasing self and justifying a life style based on the means justifying the end.  We cannot live disconnected from the needs of those around us and live a life pleasing to God because each one of us was not created to be the whole, but a part of the whole.  When our inner being has been taken over by such self-centered pursuits, it will not be the fruit of the Spirit, or the heart of Christ that will be manifest in us, but something which has within it the seeds of destruction.