Stinky Fruit

Weird title, right? You know what happens when you leave a banana in your fruit bowl for too long? It turns black, starts to rot and out of nowhere a bunch of random fruit flies start to show up. Seriously, where did these little buggers come from? Everything seemed fine a week ago when you first bought the banana.

Here's the deal with the banana. If you had used it right away, when it was ripe and flavorful and full of banana-y goodness, all would be well. But you waited until it was too late. The banana was no good and had actually started to sort of, well, stink.

OK, so take the nasty fruit concept and connect with our spiritual life. When we're right with God, filled with His Holy Spirit and living it out (you know, not watching crazy Showtime videos all night long and then preaching a sermon on Sunday morning or driving on a suspended license and teaching DMV traffic school), then our fruit won't stink.

Some of the fruits of the spirit (or the result of living by the Spirit of God) include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Do you have those things in your life or are they elusive (meaning impossible to grasp)?

I'd like to be all politically correct and nice and have you all like me, but there's more to this concept than flowers and puppies and showtunes on "Glee". The opposite of living according to God's will and plan is living according to the flesh (your own plans, desires, lusts, etc.). Ehh. I know, I can hear the "that's kind of judgmental, Monika." Hey, I didn't write the Bible. I'm just here to report the news.

Here's a nice list thanks to Paul in the book of Galatians of the results of living by the flesh: Sexual immorality (pornography, sex outside of marriage); idolatry (worshipping things that aren't God--people, stuff, your looks, their looks, cars, purses, your money, your designer jeans); participation in demonic activities (Ouija boards, runes, tarot cards, psychic readings); hostility (anger and sarcasm); selfish ambition (it's all about getting to the top); and drunkenness to name a few.

Now before you completely freak out, here's what I know about God. He wants the best, the very absolute best for us. For example, there's something amazingly spiritual about entering into a marriage covenant with God at the center. I'm speaking from experience. I haven't always followed Christ and I'm not too proud to tell you that I've had many meaningless relationships prior to getting married to Jeff. Where are those fine gentlemen now? Every time you enter into a physical relationship with someone else, you're becoming one flesh with that person. And every time you break up with someone that you've been physical with, it's like tearing flesh spiritually. It's no wonder so many people have a hard time letting go of their ex. It's like you're bonded to that person in the spiritual realm.

If you're in that situation and you want to be completely free to be available to whomever God has for you, get rid of everything that you still have that belonged to that person. Burn the pictures, the cards, and the letters. Delete the texts, the postings and the tweets. Ask God to sever the soul tie that you have with that person. ("God, sever the soul tie that I have with De Andre. In Jesus' name, amen.")

I'm sure that God will have me write more on this subject, but in the meantime if you don't want your fruit to stink, pray. With God's help and direction, you can be free of all that junk that comes from living by the flesh.

Say out loud, based on Galatians 5:22-23:

"My life is lead by the Holy Spirit, and as a result, I produce the fruit of righteousness."