Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV) 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Have you ever been around someone that seems to ooze the fruit of the spirit? You can see love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control and wonder how they do it?
Do you sometimes hear the same message or scripture from several sources within a short period of time? I have. Lately it's been the message of the "fruit of the spirit." When you hear something repeatedly, God's trying to tell you something.
Last night I talked to someone on the phone I had never met. She was a Christian author and excited about Jesus. I could hear her smile through the phone. Her energy was infectious and contagious. God was obviously present in her life. What does she have that I don't have? Even more important; how can I get that in my life?
I am very big on positive affirmations, meditating on the scriptures, prayer and all the positive thinking but it wasn't working for me. I was allowing fear to operate in my life. I had a spirit of confusion and fear that was dominating my optimism; my vision of the work God has blessed me with. I was acting like one of those Christians that I label as "being baptized in lemon juice." I was going around looking pitiful, acting pitiful and guess what? I was a self-fulfilling prophesy. I was pitiful.
2 Timothy 1:7 (Amplified Bible) 7For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.
When I sat down to read my Bible this morning I had planned on going back to Leviticus. I am working on a plan to get through the Bible in one year and I was going to pick up where I left off yesterday. I read parts from the Old and New Testament daily. God had other plans for me. I decided, or I should say He decided, I would read the book of Galatians.
I had a highlighting day. Do you do that? My Bible is so marked up from scriptures that leap out at me. Galatians 5:22-23 was already highlighted in my Bible but I felt compelled to go back and read it over and over again.
The last one listed in the fruits of the spirit is self-control. We need to be in control of our thoughts and the things that we speak, all the time. The moment we speak defeat or show doubt, Satan is right there to feed you more of the same. Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy your hopes, dreams, and confidence. The devil is a liar. But, we have the one thing that Satan must bow down to and that's the word of God.
1 John 4:4 (NIV) 4You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
If we operate in the spirit of love, God's word says that it covers over a multitude of sin. That's a tough thing to do when someone has been ugly to you isn't it? But, when we are unforgiving, hold a grudge, or act unloving to someone, it's like drinking poison yourself and expecting someone else to die. You are the one experiencing the toxic effects of that unloving spirit. To love other people and treat them in a loving manner just plain feels good doesn't it? You know in your heart of hearts that love is pleasing to God.
1 Peter 4:8 (NIV) 8Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
When we operate in the fruit of love, we experience joy. We see reasons to feel joyful all around us. Joy is being content with the life you are leading. Joy is being happy with what you do have rather than what you don't have.
Peace or calmness knows that God is in control. God is large and in charge. No amount of worrying is going to change what you are going through. Be at peace knowing that God is right there with you. It might not always work out the way we want it to but if you surrender your burden to your Heavenly Father it will always work out for the best.
1 Peter 5:7 (NIV) 7Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Here is one of our favorite words; patience. Am I the only one that struggles with that one? My intuition says probably not. God is not always on the same time table as us but let God be God. He knows what He's doing. If you treat people with kindness, you are most likely treated the same way. What you want to manifest most in your life is what you should be giving away freely.
Luke 6:38 (NLT) 38If you give, you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use in giving--large or small--it will be used to measure what is given back to you."
In church, you most often hear the scripture above when it is time to collect the offering. I think we would be mistaken to think that Jesus was only referring to tithing. In fact, if you read the verse previous to this one, Jesus also talks about judgment, condemnation and forgiveness. So, whatever you give, you will also receive. Give kindness and it will be returned to you. Let your walk and talk always be filled with kindness.
Goodness is a conscious choice to do the right thing. It's more of an attitude of making the right choice that will benefit others more than benefit ourselves. The more we allow for the Holy Spirit to work in our lives, the more goodness becomes evident in our every day life. The ultimate act of goodness is when Jesus died on the cross for you and me. Jesus did not need to die for himself; he had no sin in his life. In God's goodness he sent Jesus Christ to be an example for us. In Jesus' goodness he died on the cross for us so that we may have eternal life. There was no benefit for Jesus in dying. It was all for us.
Faithfulness is something or someone that you can count on with no doubt at all in your mind or senses. When I think about why I love God so much it all comes down to God's faithfulness to me. Even though He owes me nothing I can count on Him for everything. He will NEVER leave me or forsake me. I don't know of anyone that I can trust that much. The word "trust" is grabbing me as I write it. That's how we develop faithfulness; by trust.