What's Your Motivation? Discerning Spiritual Fruit

Are You Nice?

Have you ever met a really, really nice person? You know, someone who seems to always be thinking of others, someone who never loses their temper and always seems to be happy. That is a sure sign that they are a Christian, right? Wrong. Nice people aren't necessarily Christians.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23

What's Your Motivation to be Nice?

The more important question is, "What is the motivation of that person?" That is a question that requires discernment from God. We should look inward to see what motivates us to be "nice" people.

• Do we have self-control because we want to appear to have it all together? Or does our self-control happen because the Holy Spirit is acting on us to see that there is a better way? God should be in control, not us.

• Are we kind to people because we know if we are that we will benefit somehow from that kindness? Or are we kind because we want to show Jesus to them, no matter who they are?

• Is our joy based on the knowledge that people like to be around happy people so we will have more friends? Or does it come from an inner knowledge that Christ has redeemed us and loves us?

• Do we love only those who are able to love us back, who see what we do? Or do we love the unlovable ones, the people who treat us with disrespect, who don't see our worth?

• Are we faithful in public but in the quiet of our homes do we question and doubt and wonder if it's all real?

Should a Christian be a nice person? Of course, absolutely. But it must be for the right reasons. Only through discernment can we know if the reasons are to build ourselves up or to build up the Kingdom of God. Because someone talks the talk doesn't mean their heart is in the right place. People use manipulation, guilt and sometimes outright lying to make themselves appear to be "fruitful" people.

There is also a difference between our natural personality and spiritual transformation. Some people are naturally pleasant, reserved, or agreeable, while others struggle more openly with anger or impatience. God can and does use personality, but personality is not fruit. The fruit of the Spirit is not about how we are wired; it is about how we are changed. Discernment helps us recognize the difference between what comes easily to us by nature and what is produced in us by the Spirit through surrender, repentance, and obedience.

Fruit Inspectors

In Matthew 7:15-20 we are told to inspect fruit, don't just take it at face value. "Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit." Sadly we can't always tell immediately. It takes fruit a while to produce. In the meantime, we may have questions.

Discerning Truth

Clearly not everyone shows their hand honestly. Many people pretend to be something they are not to get ahead or use others. Discernment comes from God. It requires knowledge and understanding of His word.

In Ephesians 5:10-11 we are told to discern the things pleasing to God and discerning teachers is part of that. Paul says don't take part in the works of darkness, instead expose them. And in 1 John 4:1 we are told to "test the spirits" to see if they are of God. Why? Because there are many false prophets in the world.

True Christian Fruit

As Christians our fruit doesn't appear full grown and mature on day one. Our fruit must be nurtured, pruned, fertilized, and nourished to grow. We are nourished by the vine—Jesus. The fruit we produce is a work in progress. One thing is certain though, a true Christian is one who, slowly but surely, indeed does produce true fruit by God's grace. We might not have the quantity we want, or maybe the quality is a little lacking, but it will be there.

What's your motivation? So let's be "nice", but make sure it comes from a place of humility and an eagerness to show the love of Christ to others. Make sure our fruit is real and not disguising something unpleasant on the inside.

Bear Good Fruit to the Lord