Fruit of the Holy Spirit

By Shari Bhandal

We can all have more than one fruit of the Spirit, but we are stronger in some fruits than others. Here is a simple quiz to let you know which fruit is your strongest and which could use a little work.
Rank the Following 1 through 9, with 1 being your most important or most likely response to the situation.

1. You're watching TV when the power goes out. You...
____ A) Do your best to keep from calling the electric company to chew them out.
____ B) Smile and put on some candles. The electricity will come on soon enough.
____ C) Use the time wisely to get some things done around the house.
____ D) Enjoy the family conversation while waiting for the lights to come back on.
____ E) Start up a game of some sort.
____ F) Go around and make sure everyone is okay.
____ G) Take a nap or read a book.
____ H) Comfort those who are afraid of the dark.
____ I) Spend some time in prayer and reflection.

2. You're at a party with friends. You...
____ A) Stay with the group rather than sneaking off with your boyfriend.
____ B) Hang out, even though a group of people are being a little annoying.
____ C) Offer the girl who spilled punch a t-shirt out of your car.
____ D) Enjoy the small conversation going on outside on the patio.
____ E) Start the party games.
____ F) Offer to get more drinks when the soda gets low.
____ G) Break up the fight going on between two guys in the corner.
____ H) Leave the fun to console your friend who just got dumped.
____ I) Walk away from the party when it becomes too tempting. You know God would not want you to compromise yourself.

3. You're studying and your friend calls on the phone to tell you about an argument with her mom. You...
____ A) You tell your friend you are studying and you will call him back when you're done.
____ B) You listen as your friend relays the argument she got into with her mom, knowing you will have to get back to studying eventually.
____ C) You set aside your studying, because you're already ahead. It's important to help your friend out.
____ D) You soothe your friend's anger by offering some consolation.
____ E) Start cracking jokes to make your friend laugh. Then she might not be so angry and sad.
____ F) Offer to let her come over to your house for a movie night so she can let things simmer down a bit.
____ G) You offer your friend advice on how to make things right with her mom.
____ H) Go over to your friends house and give her a hug. She needs to feel loved right now.
____ I) Take some time to pray with your friend about her relationship with her mother.

Now, add up your A answers, B answers, etc. Write down your scores for:
A: _____ Self-Control
B: _____ Patience
C: _____ Goodness
D: _____ Gentleness
E: _____ Joy
F: _____ Kindness
G: _____ Peace
H: _____ Love
I: _____ Faithfulness

So what is your strongest fruit of the spirit and what fruits do you need to work on? Your lowest scores are your strengths, and your highest scores are the areas where you might want to do a little work. So, if you had the highest score for A, you may need to develop more self-control, but if your lowest score was C your strength is in being good.
What is the Fruit of the Spirit? :

It is a term commonly used by Christian teens, but it is not always understood. Fruit of the Spirit is often used to describe the best aspects of a Godly character.
The Nine Fruits of the Spirit: There are nine fruits of the Spirit that are bestowed upon believers to define a person's character. Those fruits include the following:
• Faithfulness
• Self-Control
• Patience
• Goodness
• Gentleness
• Joy
• Kindness
• Peace
• Love

Scriptural References: Fruit of the Spirit is mentioned in several areas of the Bible. However, the most applicable passage is Galatians 5:22-23 where Paul actually lists out the fruit. Paul used this list to show the contrast between a Godly character and one that is focused on fleshly concerns.

Galatians 5:22-23 - "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." (NIV)

What Does that Mean for Me?: The fruit of the Spirit is meant to be a list of qualities we strive to have. If you look at your character and find that you are lacking in any of these areas, take heart. We are human beings and not one of us are perfect. However, God calls us all to strive for perfection. That was the purpose in Paul listing out the fruit for the Galatian church. These are qualities any Christian teen should strive to have in their character, and they take work.
Receiving Fruit of the Spirit: Prayer, Bible reading, and effort go into being able to bear the fruit of the Spirit. As it is suggested in Ephesians 4:22-24 you should try to let go of any bad attitudes or habits. Through prayer you can ask for the fruit of the spirit and ways you can improve yourself so you can become much more God-like in your character.

Ephesians 4:22-24 - "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." (NIV)

What Fruits of the Spirit Do I Have?