Fruits of the Spirit

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

There are nine ‘fruits’ mentioned in Galatians. The word fruit is used to help us understand the result of the holy spirit. Just like any apple or peach, fruits of the spirit take time to ripen. It needs proper water and sunshine to thrive. Taking time to read scripture or tending to the weeds created by past sin can make for a strong and tall tree.

Love,Goodness,Kindness & Patience

Love in a biblical sense is chosen, and it always seeks to benefit others. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather in humility value others above yourself.”(Philippians 2:1-3). In my opinion, biblical love and the fruits of kindness and goodness go hand in hand. Goodness represents a sense of what is morally right and kindness is the expression of that goodness unto others. Mastering goodness and kindness is key for learning biblical love for our brothers and sisters. Patience is equally as important. Usually patience is linked with speaking the gospel to others. We’re called to be patient with each other as God patiently waits for the broken.

Joy,Peace & Gentleness 

I hear about peace a lot in devotions and church sermons, but before I was involved in a church I was always so angry. That's because the world can’t offer us peace. Sure our favorite things make life easier but true peace through the Lord is unlike any stress relief tactic out there. The book of Phillipians tells us to rejoice, bring all our worries and fears, and then fill ourselves with the truth. On the other hand, joy seems to be more of an overlooked subject. Joy to me is an extreme happiness and sense of security. John 15:4-11 says “If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” I heard somewhere that gentleness is the grace of our souls, it’s the opposite of selfishness and self interest, making it vital for peace within christ. “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” (Ephesians 4:2)

Self control & Faithfulness

Through Self control, we’re allowed the option to say no to the things we know are sinful and wrong. We’re also given the option to make the correct decisions; and choose to say yes to God. Our faithfulness to God is a constant choice to obey him. Choosing to do what seems harder or more difficult because we have faith that he knows what’s best. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

Best wishes,

Emily

Trusting The Lord

When the Lord laid this on my heart to bring to you all, one story from the Bible really stood out to me. Matthew 14:28-31 says, “And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And He said, come, and when Peter came down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”

With Jesus RIGHT in front of him, telling him exactly what to do, he doubted his safety. He doubted the Son of God in his very presence. At the sight of danger his faith diminished. This shows you just how easy it is to let fear block the wonders of what the Lord has for us if we believe. But what it really boils down to is lack of trust. If Peter had completely trusted Jesus in that moment, he would still notice the “boisterous wind,” but it would not have phased him. Even so, Jesus and His perfect Love picked Peter up from the waves and put him back in the boat.

There have been times in my own life when I was “stepping out of the boat,” into a scary place where my only hope was to keep my eyes focused on the Lord. I was like Peter in a lot of those instances, looking at the storm and completely sinking into the middle of it. But just like with Peter, Jesus didn’t hesitate to stretch forth His hand and catch me. Even when I failed, Jesus found a way to bring me out with NO hesitation, showing me over and over again that I can fully trust Him.

As we individually walk with the Lord, we are all going to go through things that test our faith. But Jesus shows us time and time again that He means what He says. The last time you stepped out of the boat, did you keep your eyes completely focused on the Lord? It’s easy to lose sight of God’s love when our focus is on the storm, so we must shift our focus to our God who is unchanging and so much bigger than any storm we will face. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

Today I challenge you to fully trust in the Lord. Grab ahold of His promises and speak them over your own life. Be still and know today that we serve a God we can fully put our trust in, in any situation. He’s working ALL things for your good.

With love, Emma