Saturday 31 October 2015

Abound in the Fruit of the Spirit

"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

I think we all have some favorite passages in the Bible. It's true no scripture is better than another, as they all provide life and truth, but sometimes there are certain scriptures that stand out for us the most. One particular passage that I've always loved is Galatians 5. I remember the first time I really studied the Fruit of Spirit thoroughly was because I was going to give a bible study based on them. As I was studying them, the Lord started speaking to me and stirring my soul. We need to abound in fruit, abounding in the fruit is part of the growing up process of every Christian.

The past few years, I've included this passage in my prayers, I've asked the Lord for Him grow in me and in my church so that we may abound in the Fruit of the Spirit. I've come to realize that asking God to help you be more like Him means He will test you to see (and for you to see!) if you have abounded in those particular fruits.The testing is not always easy to get through but when you go through it and don't react carnally, it is satisfying to see that you can overcome obstacles in the Spirit. Tests and trials are much easier to go through when we abound in the fruit. When we learn to love those that offend us, when we learn to have peace and faith in the midst of the storm, when we learn to let our pride go and be meek as He was.

Everyone is at a different point in their Journey with Christ and some might not be there quite yet, still struggling to follow this path, but as we begin to grow in Christ our maturity is shown through our fruits. It is important that we die to the flesh daily! That we allow the Spirit and its desires to grow and that we (our ego/our desires) decrease so that God may increase in us. The more He Increases in us, the more we will be like Him. The more He shines through us in our character, the more credible our witness to others will be. Abounding in the fruits can be a great witnessing tool, when others see the goodness, love and mercy of Christ through our words and actions.

It is my desire that God and others may find my life abundant in the Fruit of the Spirit! Let it be yours too!