Ericaceous Soil and Intentional Choices

Galatians 5:25 (NIV)

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 

I love blueberries, and so a few years ago my dad bought me a tiny blueberry plant. I was so excited! My own constant supply of blueberries! I popped the young blueberry plant in the garden, headed inside and looked forward to going out to pick my blueberries the next day. Sadly, when I went out the next morning there were no blueberries. Nor did any appear the next day or month or year. 

It turns out blueberries are quite fragile little plants, requiring the perfect conditions to thrive. They must be grown in acidic ericaceous soil with a pH of 4.5–5.5. Funnily enough, you can’t just pop them in a pot and hope for the best.

In a similar vein, when it comes to growing and producing the fruit of the Spirit, we can’t just invite the Spirit, cross our fingers, and hope for the best. 

For us to produce the fruit of the Spirit, we need to be living in the right conditions, we need to be intentional about our surroundings (or soil), and make choices to help us thrive. 

We have to get rid of anything that might stop or stunt our fruit growth. We have to cultivate new habits to replace the old ones. We have to make daily choices to look after and stay committed to our fruit. We can’t just invite the Spirit and not change anything in our lives. Growing and producing fruit takes time and effort, but as anyone who has tasted homegrown fruit knows, it’s worth it. Growing and producing the fruit of the Sprit takes time and effort, but when we do, it’s really worth it.

PRAYER - Jesus, help me to turn away from things that aren’t good, and to choose you in all I say and do. Help me to keep in step with your Spirit.