“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure, then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” James 3:17

(This week’s devotionals, originally published in January 2021, aligned with the sermon series “Disagree Deeply, Love Deeper Still: True Unity.” The writing team prays they will be an encouragement to you.)

She threw a fruit I couldn’t dodge;

I giggled at the blow.

I picked one up and tossed it back;

The fight began to flow.

He stood by, watching, wondering;

And I just couldn’t resist.

Before he knew what hit him,

I’d opened wide my fist

And hurled in his direction 

A fruit so juicy ripe

The sweetness overwhelmed him;

And so, he joined the fight.

Our fruit supply was endless,

Growing there upon the Vine;

And throwing it was such a kick

Both for their side, and mine.

The love fruit always touched a heart,

The joy fruit left a smile,

The peace fruit brought serenity,

Patience lasted quite a while.

Kindness always caught off-guard,

Goodness breezed right through,

Gentleness landed lightly,

Faithfulness was true-blue.

The taste of self-control

Kept all our timing right;

And we’ve decided that this is

The only way to fight.

Try this: Choose one of those fruits of the Spirit and ask Jesus to cultivate it in you. Then be alert for when it crops up for you to “throw” during a potentially contentious conversation. It’s a great way to catch somebody off guard and incite a smile.