We’ve just finished almost 6 weeks of teaching on love and yet it’s going to be the first seed we’re going to plant in our garden.
“But the fruit that the Spirit produces in a person’s life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these kinds of things.” Galatians 5:22-23 ERV
Before we look at planting seeds of love, I want us to examine what type of seed we are putting into the soil of our hearts.
Fruit trees are a perpetual seed meaning each season they produce fruit. Some seasons they will produce larger fruit but there will be less of it. Some seasons they produce a lot but the fruit is smaller. Perpetual seed.
Vegetable seeds are annuals. They grow for one season; produce a crop and they die. We don’t want to be producing annuals in our lives.
Then there are the perennials. Technically, fruit trees and bushes are perennials but most often that term refers to flowers that bloom all year round or that go dormant and come back year after year.
I like that the Scripture doesn’t say that the “vegetable” the Spirit produces is…, no, the Holy Spirit produces fruit in our lives. Big difference.
Love.
“So these three things continue: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love.” I Corinthians 13:13 ERV
Since the Bible names love as the first fruit and calls love the greatest characteristic we shall start there.
“Fill us with your love every morning. Let us be happy and enjoy our lives.” Psalm 90:14 ERV
“What I teach will give you a good, long life, and all will go well for you. 3 Don’t ever let love and loyalty leave you. Tie them around your neck, and write them on your heart. 4 Then God will be pleased and think well of you and so will everyone else.” Proverbs 3:2-4 ERV
“He said, “Teacher, which command in the law is the most important?”
37 Jesus answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and most important command. 39 And the second command is like the first: ‘Love your neighbor the same as you love yourself.’” Matthew 22:36-39 ERV
As I pointed out the other day, God’s word is the seed we are given to plant in our hearts.
“And what about the seed that fell on rocky ground? That is like the people who hear the teaching and quickly and gladly accept it. 21 But they do not let the teaching go deep into their lives. They keep it only a short time. As soon as trouble or persecution comes because of the teaching they accepted, they give up.
22 “And what about the seed that fell among the thorny weeds? That is like the people who hear the teaching but let worries about this life and love for money stop it from growing. So it does not produce a crop in their lives.” Matthew 13:20-22 ERV
The verses above are good seed and they WILL produce but they need to be protected. All the seeds of God’s word do.
“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” Proverbs 4:23 NLT
Now, let’s start planting and watch the seeds grow!