The Fruit Finale

One of the greatest things we can hear as believers in Jesus is that it’s not up to us to fix ourselves. We only need to be aware of our brokenness and sin, acknowledge it to the King of kings, and accept His redemptive forgiveness. Then, as His Holy Spirit takes up eternal residence within us, He begins to make room for more of Jesus in our lives. He shapes and molds us to be more like Him. Our job at this point is to surrender ourselves to His leading, to bask in the wonder of His word, and to worship Him all the days of our lives. The more we submit to this, the greater the impact He will have.

In your old self, you were governed by the father of lies. You were entrenched in your sin and shame. You thirsted for your own independence, power, and wealth; wanting to be your own ruler. But by the Holy Spirit’s prompting and the work of the Lord, He called out to you and informed you of a better way of life. One that didn’t come with great pressure to figure everything out yourself. No, you were given the right to take your hands off and be led by a loving and gentle Shepherd.

This God is full of love. So much love that He took His precious time creating you and detailing your life with perfect plans. So much love, in fact, that He sent His Son to die for you so that you could be eternally free from the father of lies.

This God is also full of joy. He loves celebrating life and all that He made. He created festivals and holidays built around worship to Him because He delights in fellowship with His people. His joy overflows and is what brings such wonder into your life.

Peace is another characteristic of this awesome God. He can’t stand it when His children are afraid. He has told them countless times to not be afraid because He is peace. He is victory. He wins every battle against the enemy so you don’t have to be afraid.

You also don’t need to fear when you mess up. You can regret your decision and confess your sins to Him because He is understanding. He is patient with you because He knows you still have a sinful nature by your very existence of living in this world. He has suffered and endured in this life alongside you, and will continue to do so until your race is won and you spend eternity with Him.

The Lord is so kind. He doesn’t have to do anything for you. Your very life is enough. Add a relationship with Jesus on top of that and He has far exceeded in kindness. But He doesn’t stop there. Instead, He pours out His kindness to you by listening to and answering your prayers. He provides for your every need and so many wants. He walks through life with you every single day so you are never alone. Yahweh is always good. This world and the enemy are not. Life happens and leaves us spinning sometimes. But the Lord is always good. He cares so much for you in the hard times. He teaches and ministers to you in the trials. He delivers you from your enemies. Then, He brings celebrations into your life to refresh your soul.

The Faithful One is always present. “For it is the Lord your God who goes with you; He will not leave you or forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 Therefore, you can “declare Your faithful love in the morning and Your faithfulness at night. Psalm 92:2 He is the same God since creation, all of the Bible, into your life, and eternity to come. Because of this, you can trust in Him.

He is also your Gentle Shepherd. He is powerful and mighty, strong to fight against the fiercest of enemies, yet gentle enough to bind up your wounds and hold your tender heart in His hand. He sings to you and whispers His love in your ear. He carries your burdens and helps you when you are weak. He doesn’t showboat Himself and forget about you, though He has every right to do so. He comes alongside you and guides you on the path He’s chosen in order to keep you safe.

This Mighty God is also self-controlled. He doesn’t freak out, worry, or do anything irrationally. He is methodical. Every detail planned out and executed at the exact time it was meant to. He doesn’t veer off course or choose to do anything else because He feels like it. He isn’t led by His emotions, but uses them to enhance His purposes.

This is the God that you serve and the power that is at work within you. These are the characteristics that the Spirit is working to grow within you. It is a beautiful compilation of the glorious Lord we worship. These are also the things we will bask in their full potential in the kingdom of God when no sin can dull them. What a mighty God we serve.

May you trust more deeply in the Lord and the work He’s doing in your life today to make you more like Jesus and of greater use for His kingdom. Bless you as you spend time with Him and grow in the fruits of the Spirit.