FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
Photo by Aziz Acharki on Unsplash
Why Engage It?
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. It can feel overwhelming at times to think about the Fruits of the Spirit and what fruit needs to be cultivated in your life. What in the world do we do when it seems impossible to develop and live those virtues out in our lives? Just when we feel God has helped us in one area, another sneaks up and rears its head to remind us how far we still have to go. So where do we start?
How to Practice It
Pick one fruit to work on each month – it takes more than a day or week, (perhaps even a lifetime!) to cultivate a fruit, but we need to start somewhere. Pray and notice which one seems to be calling for your attention. Once you have identified which fruit you’re going to focus on this month, find ways to keep it top of mind: Place a sticky-note on your dashboard. Set an alarm on your phone titled with that one word. Write it on your mirror. Create ways to remind yourself to stop and take inventory of how you’re growing in that fruit.
If you do something that damages that fruit, let it go and move forward – don’t give up. Invite the Holy Spirit to partner with you, to encourage and strengthen you each time you are reminded to practice that fruit. Write down any changes you notice each week in how you respond to people at home, at work, in the community. You may be pleasantly surprised by the results and inspired to continue with that fruit or called to move on to another one.