“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law†(Galatians 5:22-23).
Today we begin to look at the “fruit of the Spirit.†I had likened it to a cluster of grapes. It is one fruit with nine distinct qualities. So this cluster has nine grapes. The first three, “love, joy, and peace†touch on our relationship to God. If we don’t take care of these, the other six will be affected.
Let us look at the word, “love.†For the Christian, this has to go beyond just emotion. We must strive to learn to love as Jesus loved us. There are people we are prone to love more than others. However, we must consider how we feel toward the “unlovely.†Christ did when He gave us life for them as well. We must let this “fruit†grow by following Christ’s example of deep and unconditional love.
Next we find the word, “joy.†We often confuse joy and happiness. The latter tends to depend on our “happenings.†We can experience joy in spite of our circumstances. Christ wants our joy to be full. We are redeemed and on our way to Heaven. Our lives should demonstrate that joy and excitement. Maybe that “grape†could use some nourishment.
True “peace†begins with God. As we learn to trust Him more, we can begin to let go of the things in our lives that only cause us turmoil. Commune daily with God and watch the first three qualities of the “fruit of the Spirit†grow.
Sue Winchester
Missouri
PRAY TOGETHER: Pray as FWBIM Regional Directors meet with Jeff Turnbough, new Deputy Director for Field Operations, to discuss global and regional strategies.
