what's your fruit?

had a convo with a friend today regarding something that someone said to her. someone who was trying to "teach" her. instead of teaching my friend though, it offended her. it got me started thinking. about the words that come out of our mouths and the way we deliver those words. made me think of a passage in 2 Peter 1:5-9.

"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindess; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins."

notice Peter didn't say add to your knowledge, all-knowing. or to your self-control, reprimand. or to godliness, self-righteousness. how often do we approach others with an assumption. or a judgment. and then we try to "teach" them? it says in this scripture that if we possess these qualities in increasing measure that they will keep us from being ineffective and unproductive in our knowledge of Christ. i don't know about you, but i don't want to be that. i want to know Christ. how often do we say things with an attitude of judgment or self-righteousness. that can only lead to being ineffective and unproductive. reminds me of Galatians 5:22, 23.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."

goes hand in hand with 2 Peter.

so, the question is . . . what kind of fruit are your words going to produce?