How are your fruits?

Once, teaching Children's Church, I started a series on the fruits of the spirit. We studied love. When we started, I asked if anyone knew what the "fruit of the spirit" was. Some of them had heard the term but didn't understand it. So I explained each "fruit," and then showed them a little illustration.

I put some potting soil in a small little pot, and had one of the kids sprinkle the seeds on it and put some more soil over them, to bury them. I said, "now, if I just set this aside and forget about it, they'll grow, right?" They all yelled "no!!" So, "what do I have to do to make them grow?" I asked. "Water it!" "Give it food!" "Put it in the sun!" Are all answers that I got. All correct. They agreed with me that you have to tend to the seeds after they're planted, otherwise they won't grow, and the dirt will dry up, and it will be useless.

I told them that when we accept Jesus, He plants little seeds in our hearts. We can ignore them and let them dry up, and they'll never grow. But if we nurture them, and take care of them, and feed them, they will grow into something beautiful that everyone can see, I said as I pulled out a pretty purple Petunia I had potted already. It received many "ooos" and "aaahs". I said, like when we see this flower and we know that it grew from a seed, that when people see the "fruits of the spirit" in us, it's like seeing Jesus in us. They know that our fruits grew from Him.

Suddenly they understood the concept. But I liked the answers that I got from my question on how to take care of the seeds:

"Water it!" - Pray.
"Feed it!" - Read the Word.
"Put it in the sun!" - Let the Son shine on you.

So, my question to you (and to myself) is: how often do your actions glorify the Lord, as compared to when they don't? Do people get a good picture of God when they see you?

Tend your garden, and your fruit will grow.