Gal 5:22-23 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
After reading Pastor Chilly’s ** guest writers (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control.)last week about the fruit of the spirit, which God had already laid on my heart prior to that, I have concluded one thing. I am not a good Christian. I don’t know if there is such a thing really as a “good” Christian. Because if we were really all that “good” then would we really need Christ? Anyway, maybe the conclusion is that I really have a really really long way to go, and if it’s only when we are done learning what God has to teach us, I may live until I am 257,893 year old. That would be one for the record book. And that’s a lot of lessons…
And by the way it’s FRUIT of the spirit, not fruitS of the spirit. I think it may be an all or nothing thing, but I’m really not sure. I’m working on picking up a study on it, would love to do Beth Moore’s but it’s $10 MORE than anyone elses. And that just makes me crazy, but that’s another blog… But I am trying to figure out which one to do...
So let’s break it down…
Love. I think for the most part, I got the love thing down. I love big. Sometimes maybe a little too big, but there is no doubt in my mind that I love. But after examining the rest of the fruit, maybe not enough.
Joy. Joy is not dependent on circumstances but your heart. For the most part, I think I have that one too. There is a lot of joy in my heart. I’m usually pretty joyful no matter where I am.
Peace. There is not much to check there. Peace, maybe piece, like piece of cake, brownie, cheese, pizza. I have the piece but not the peace. I am quite unsettled most of the time.
Patience. Nope. Not that one either. I want it, and I want it now!
Kindness. I sometimes have this one. I have two people in my life right now that I just am having a difficult time with them. One is a snitch, and the other is annoying. The first one is very difficult for me to even comprehend. I just can’t get why someone would “snitch” on someone and just not address the issue with the person not snitching. The second one is a little annoying, however, he TRIES to annoy me to be funny, unfortunately, that makes me see nothing good about him, because all I see is annoying. No kindness there.
Goodness. According to what I read (because I haven’t done my study yet) goodness = usefulness. I would say that I use my gifts making me ‘useful’. I often feel like maybe I should do more… but I do what I feel like I am doing what I am called to do. What God wants me to do rather what I wants me to do. I’ve got some studying ahead of me.
Faithfulness. For the most part (that’s my out) I am faithful. I love God, however, if I was more faithful to living His way and His word, maybe I’d have the rest of the ‘fruit’.
Gentleness. Is a bull gentle in a china shop? I’m not so gentle. I don’t know why but I am empathetic but because my whole life I’ve just had pull up my big girl panties and get on iwht my bad self, so I sometimes expect everyone else to do the same. However, I realize that could be part of the problem of my ‘missing’ fruit.
Self-control – I’m a “little” too passionate. I’ll leave it at that. Ugh.
I have a lot of work ahead of me. Fruit of the Spirit here I come. I can’t wait, with each bite, it will be pure God given knowledge.
And by the way it’s FRUIT of the spirit, not fruitS of the spirit. I think it may be an all or nothing thing, but I’m really not sure. I’m working on picking up a study on it, would love to do Beth Moore’s but it’s $10 MORE than anyone elses. And that just makes me crazy, but that’s another blog… But I am trying to figure out which one to do...
So let’s break it down…
Love. I think for the most part, I got the love thing down. I love big. Sometimes maybe a little too big, but there is no doubt in my mind that I love. But after examining the rest of the fruit, maybe not enough.
Joy. Joy is not dependent on circumstances but your heart. For the most part, I think I have that one too. There is a lot of joy in my heart. I’m usually pretty joyful no matter where I am.
Peace. There is not much to check there. Peace, maybe piece, like piece of cake, brownie, cheese, pizza. I have the piece but not the peace. I am quite unsettled most of the time.
Patience. Nope. Not that one either. I want it, and I want it now!
Kindness. I sometimes have this one. I have two people in my life right now that I just am having a difficult time with them. One is a snitch, and the other is annoying. The first one is very difficult for me to even comprehend. I just can’t get why someone would “snitch” on someone and just not address the issue with the person not snitching. The second one is a little annoying, however, he TRIES to annoy me to be funny, unfortunately, that makes me see nothing good about him, because all I see is annoying. No kindness there.
Goodness. According to what I read (because I haven’t done my study yet) goodness = usefulness. I would say that I use my gifts making me ‘useful’. I often feel like maybe I should do more… but I do what I feel like I am doing what I am called to do. What God wants me to do rather what I wants me to do. I’ve got some studying ahead of me.
Faithfulness. For the most part (that’s my out) I am faithful. I love God, however, if I was more faithful to living His way and His word, maybe I’d have the rest of the ‘fruit’.
Gentleness. Is a bull gentle in a china shop? I’m not so gentle. I don’t know why but I am empathetic but because my whole life I’ve just had pull up my big girl panties and get on iwht my bad self, so I sometimes expect everyone else to do the same. However, I realize that could be part of the problem of my ‘missing’ fruit.
Self-control – I’m a “little” too passionate. I’ll leave it at that. Ugh.
I have a lot of work ahead of me. Fruit of the Spirit here I come. I can’t wait, with each bite, it will be pure God given knowledge.
Job 6:24 "Teach me, and I will be quiet; show me where I have been wrong.
**Pastor Chilly is from Real Church in Ham-town (I've been checking them out for awhile, hoping that in some way Alive/Fuel can serve with them). Netta (on the right is his beautiful spirited wife)
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