Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law.
The life of a Christ follower is one that should be noticeable by the fruit we bear. Unbelievers and believers alike should be able to spot where our allegiances lie just based on the fruit they see in our lives. If we claim to love God, but do not love others; what sort of message do we send the world? If we claim to have the joy of Christ, and yet treat every event in our lives as a disaster worthy of depression; what will they think about Christians? Will they want to follow this God we serve?
Having said all that, it isn't easy to just bear fruit as though it were a chore that we can put on our to-do list. We cannot check kindness off our list just because we helped someone today. The fruit of the spirit is an ongoing goal. Each day, we awaken anew, and we must be ready to show the Lord to others. We do this in our actions, in our attitudes, in our reactions to situations, and yes, in our words. In each and every situation we face throughout the day, we must be concerned with what God's will is. We must be concerned with how to bring glory to His name with everything we say and do.
The fruit of the spirit is a personal journey, part of our walk with Christ. Each of us must directly communicate with God in an effort to become more like Him. We must read His Word, we must serve His people. In doing so, we grow closer to knowing Him, and in knowing Him we become more like Him. How could we help but want to be like the One who created us, if we learn even just a little about Him?
While this list is extensive, we should pay attention to each individual aspect of the fruit. We will find that looking in depth toward each one of these aspects can be a full study in itself. Read about the fruit of the spirit again. Let the characteristics listed soak in. Spend some time focusing on each one. Pray that you may be able to live out this fruit.
Having said all that, it isn't easy to just bear fruit as though it were a chore that we can put on our to-do list. We cannot check kindness off our list just because we helped someone today. The fruit of the spirit is an ongoing goal. Each day, we awaken anew, and we must be ready to show the Lord to others. We do this in our actions, in our attitudes, in our reactions to situations, and yes, in our words. In each and every situation we face throughout the day, we must be concerned with what God's will is. We must be concerned with how to bring glory to His name with everything we say and do.
The fruit of the spirit is a personal journey, part of our walk with Christ. Each of us must directly communicate with God in an effort to become more like Him. We must read His Word, we must serve His people. In doing so, we grow closer to knowing Him, and in knowing Him we become more like Him. How could we help but want to be like the One who created us, if we learn even just a little about Him?
While this list is extensive, we should pay attention to each individual aspect of the fruit. We will find that looking in depth toward each one of these aspects can be a full study in itself. Read about the fruit of the spirit again. Let the characteristics listed soak in. Spend some time focusing on each one. Pray that you may be able to live out this fruit.
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