The Starting Point of All Fruit

Read

1 Corinthians 13:13 “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

Think

If you’ve ever walked through an orchard or seen a vine full of ripe fruit, you know one thing: fruit doesn’t appear overnight. It takes root, nourishment, time, and intentional care. The same is true in our spiritual lives. And when Paul lists the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5, he starts with love for a reason. Love is not just first in order; it is foundational in nature. Without it, none of the other fruit can grow the way God intended.

In 1 Corinthians 13, often called “the love chapter,” Paul makes an incredibly bold statement. He says that you can speak in tongues, prophesy, give away all your possessions, even offer your body as a sacrifice, and still miss the point entirely if love is not present. In other words, you can do all the “right” things and still be spiritually empty if your heart isn’t rooted in love.

This is a tough truth. Because most of us like checklists. We like to measure how we’re doing in our faith. But love can’t be measured by performance. It shows up in the motives behind our actions and the way we treat people who have nothing to give us in return. Love shows up in how we respond to interruptions, how we forgive when it hurts, and how we serve when no one is watching.

The biblical word for love here is “agape.” It is not romantic or sentimental. It is sacrificial. It gives without keeping score. It moves toward others even when it is inconvenient or uncomfortable. Agape love chooses the good of someone else, regardless of how they respond. This is the kind of love God has shown us in Christ, and it is the kind of love the Spirit wants to grow in us.

When Jesus was asked to name the greatest commandment, He said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength,” and then added, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” He was saying that love is not just one part of following God. It is the heart of the whole thing. You can’t separate spiritual maturity from love. You can’t follow Jesus while refusing to love the  people he died for.

As you begin this nine-week journey through the fruit of the Spirit, don’t rush past love as if it’s a soft introduction. Love is not the appetizer. It is the table the rest of the meal sits on. You won’t grow joy, peace, patience, or any of the other fruit without love taking root first. And let’s be honest—love is not always natural. It’s hard to love when you feel unseen, exhausted, offended, or misunderstood. Sometimes the biggest obstacle to love is not the other person’s behavior, but our own insecurity or pain. That’s why this kind of love has to come from the Spirit. It’s not manufactured by trying harder. It’s produced by staying close to Jesus and letting his love shape how you see people.

This week, you’re not being asked to perform. You’re being invited to receive. The Holy Spirit doesn’t grow fruit in you because you are impressive. He grows fruit in you because you are surrendered. Start here: with love. With his love for you. With your love for him. And with the courage to ask, “What would it look like to love more like Jesus today?”

Apply

Write down this phrase and keep it in front of you today: “If I get love wrong, I get everything wrong.” Spend a few minutes asking the Holy Spirit where love has been missing in your motives, your relationships, or your habits. Don’t try to fix it all. Just start by being honest, and ask God to begin the work in you.

Pray

God, thank you for loving me first, not because I earned it but because it is your nature. I confess that I often try to produce fruit on my own, and I forget to let your love be the foundation. Teach me how to love like you love. Let that be the starting point of everything I think, say, and do. In Jesus’ name. Amen.