Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Why do we want to compare fruits of the spirit with natural fruit? The words were given as an example of what the Holy Spirit does in use and we look upon the fruit as it were something to pick and consume, as if the tree were ours and we have the ability to go to our tree and pick as we choose. We see ourselves as consumers.

Does the tree consume the fruit or just produce it? Produce might even be the wrong word, trees bear fruit. As the apple matures on the branch until ripe and then falls off, to dies to the earth and produce seed, which is scattered and produces more trees. What if we were not consumers in this telling but just rather the tree?

Psalm 1:1-3 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

It is no surprise to me that the very first Psalm tells us that a man is like a tree. Here is the comparative of man and tree, tree and fruit. Yet when we think about fruits of the Spirit we often think of ourselves as consumers, as if the fruits were there for us, to our benefit, ours to use, ours to make our lives more abundant.

Matthew 12:33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

The character of a tree is known by its fruit.