People often say they cannot really tell much difference between Christians and non-Christians. That is sad. That means that we are not letting our faith show through us in word and in deed. Paul talks about those characteristics which should be evidence and prevalent in our lives if we are filled with the Holy Spirit. He lists nine ways that people should see a difference in us. Keep working on them so that these become easy and natural parts of who you are and whose you are!
Please pass along this verse to all of your friends on social media and on your email list by copying this blog post or the link to this page. Ask if they have ever heard of the ‘fruit of the spirit’. Ask if they can name any of the words which describe such fruit in a person’s life. Fill them in on any that they may have missed. You can even ask if they feel that there should be rules against any of those. Paul believed that there could be no laws which would limit or stop such behaviors. Please remember to Take Time For God’s Word(c) at 5:22 am or pm or as you see any images of fruit, then recall this verse and its meaning. We needed to combine verses 22 and 23 in order to capture all nine fruits of the spirit. To help remember them, recall that the first 3 are one syllable words (love, joy, peace)…the next 3 are two syllable words (patience, kindness, goodness)…and the next 3 are three syllable words (faithfulness, gentleness, self-control). Once you have them recalled in those sequences, they become easy to recall… still hard to do consistently… but easier to remember. At the end of each day (say at 5:22 pm), do a quick check to see if you have shown any or all of these fruits to others in various situations. You may find one or two that you need to work on (at least I need to work on several). Then, be fruit-full every day!!
We pray for all of the youth music programs and choirs within our churches and fellowship groups. For many of us, we have just seen various skits, choirs, coral groups, kids Sunday School groups, etc. share their gifts and musical talents with us through the Christmas season. What a joy and blessing they have been. They sing with such excitement and expression. They often add in the hand motions to accompany the song. They are creating joyful sounds unto the Lord. Encourage them. Thank them for their sharing. It means a lot to them. Be a blessing back to them as they have blessed you. Pass it on through the fruit of the Spirit each day!
