You know how, when you’re with good friends, you’ll do a “breath check”? A quick puff out to make sure that garlic 
from lunch or coffee from Starbucks isn’t stinking it up every time you talk? Those are important. Helpful. People who breathe your air are grateful for the time you took to ask that question.
But, as important as breath checks are, there are other checks that are even more important. A “fruit check” is one of them.
The Bible often uses the metaphor of “fruit” to describe a vibrant Christian life. Christians who are growing in Christ are bearing fruit, and that fruit is noticeable 
to others.
What, exactly, should we be demonstrating? The Fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Gal. 5:22-23)
This list isn’t there to stress us out or to show us how pitifully inadequate we are. Only Jesus fleshed each of these of these out perfectly every day. But these are our goals. These. Not straight A’s or perfect highlights or a Size 4. Not lots of money or a new car or a promotion.
So, every once in a while, we need to ask a friend how we’re doing in this area. Because just like we can be unaware of bad breath, we can also be unaware of bad actions. We can think we’re really following Jesus, but in reality, we have no fruit. It is so easy to eat the “garlic” of selfish ambition and drink the “coffee” of self-love instead of pursuing “righteousness, faith, love, and peace along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” (2 Tim. 2:22)
So, every once in a while, ask for a “fruit check” – examine yourself and ask others to help you, as well. Because nothing, girls, nothing is as important as serving Jesus and growing in Him. A pursuit of anything else will leave us empty.
