Today’s featured fruit: GENTLENESS.

In my natural state, I’m about as un-gentle as they come. Without God at the helm, I tend to crash and bang through life at warp speed, leaving a wake of debris, destruction and devastation behind me.

But there’s hope even for people like me. I’ll give you an example …

Once upon a time my credit card company apparently decided it would be fun to double my interest rate without telling me. I immediately called and had a rather un-gentle-ish conversation with a poor defenseless customer service rep. I demanded to talk to her supervisor. And then her supervisor’s supervisor. And then her supervisor’s supervisor’s supervisor. The result: my interest rate stayed high (in fact, I’m surprised they didn’t double it again).

I then remembered this little verse:

Let your gentleness be evident to all.
(Philippians 4:5)

I said a little prayer, asked the Holy Spirit to fill me with gentleness and then called back. This time, I was quiet, restrained and … gentle. It was a totally different conversation. The rep went out of his way to help, spending almost an hour on the phone with me. The end result: my rate went back down (and so did my blood pressure).

Gentleness works. Here are some other “gentle” reminders from the Bible:

• “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1)
• “What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a whip, or in love and with a gentle spirit?” (1 Corinthians 4:21)
• “[T]he unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit . . . is of great worth in God’s sight.” (1 Peter 3:4)
• “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” (1 Peter 3:15)
• “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:29)

BE GENTLE

Today’s featured fruit: FAITHFULNESS.

What exactly is “faith”? Here’s one of my favorite definitions:

Faith means abandoning all trust in one’s own resources. Faith means casting oneself unreservedly on the mercy of God. Faith means laying hold of the promises of God in Christ, relying entirely on the finished work of Christ for salvation, and on the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit of God for daily strength. Faith implies complete reliance on God and full obedience to God. (New Bible Dictionary)

Put another way, faith is remaining in Christ. We cling to Him with all our hearts, abiding in Him and Him in us, trusting Him completely.

Here’s a selection of “faithful” verses. Ask the Holy Spirit to drive ‘em deep down into your soul.

• “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1)
• “The Lord preserves the faithful.” (Psalm 31:23)
• “Let love and faithfulness never leave you.” (Proverbs 3:3)
• “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7)
• “Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.” (Revelation 2:10)
• “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8)

May the answer to that last question be a resounding YES!

KEEP THE FAITH

Today’s featured fruit: GOODNESS.

Jesus said it best: “No one is good — except God alone.” (Mark 10:18)

The entire Bible can be seen as a story about the triumph of good (God) over evil (Satan). The question, then, is this: What side are you on?

The fruit you’re producing is strong evidence of where your heart’s really at. Jesus said:

[E]very good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. (Matthew 7:17-20)

Here are some “good” verses to store deep inside your heart:

• “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” (Psalm 34:8)
• “Trust in the Lord and do good.” (Psalm 37:3)
• “Fight the good fight of the faith.” (1 Timothy 6:12)
• “Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.” (Romans 12:9)
• “Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.” (1 Corinthians 10:24)
• “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)
• “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9)
• “Do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (Galatians 6:10)
• “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.” (Luke 6:27)
• “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” (1 Peter 2:12)

FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT

Today’s featured fruit: KINDNESS.

Stop reading this right now and go do something kind. Please.

Send someone a nice note. Bring soup to a sick friend. Volunteer in the community. Invite someone to lunch and pick up the tab. Do an elderly neighbor’s yard work. Clear out your closets and give stuff away. Clean up the mess you made in the kitchen last night without being asked. The possibilities are endless.

Done? OK, now you can continue.

Basically, kindness is love in action. Here are some verses to keep in mind so you’re more inclined to be kind:

• “Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.” (Proverbs 12:25)
• “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done.” (Proverbs 19:17)
• “‘[W]ith everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,’ says the LORD your Redeemer.” (Isaiah 54:8)
• “I will tell of the kindness of the LORD.” (Isaiah 63:7)
• “Love is … kind.” (1 Corinthians 13:4)
• “Be kind and compassionate to one another.” (Ephesians 4:32)
• “[T]he Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone.” (2 Timothy 2:24)

LET THE SPIRIT FILL YOUR
HEART WITH KINDNESS

Today’s featured fruit: PATIENCE.

Patience is one fruit that’s often missing from my basket. Here’s what most of my prayers on this topic sound like:

“Hurry up God and give me patience … NOW!”

Just in case you’re even a little bit like me, here are my all-time favorite anti-impatience verses. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you sloooooow down and read ‘em patiently.

• “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.” (Psalm 40:1)
• “Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.” (Proverbs 14:29)
• “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” (Romans 12:12)
• “Love is patient . . .” (1 Corinthians 13:4)
• “Be patient, bearing with one another in love.” (Ephesians 4:2)
• “[B]e patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.” (James 5:8)

ASK THE SPIRIT
TO FILL YOU WITH PATIENCE

Pentecost is a HUGE deal. In my book, it should rank right up there with Christmas and Easter as big-time Christian celebrations.

Before the Holy Spirit came, the disciples were frightened, confused and ineffective. After they were filled with the Spirit, they did miracles, led thousands to Jesus and were willing to die for their faith.

What’s life like without the Spirit? Here’s just some of what you get:

• sexual immorality
• impurity
• debauchery
• idolatry
• hatred
• discord
• jealousy
• fits of rage
• selfish ambition
• dissensions
• factions
• envy
  (Galatians 5:19-21a)

Yikes. So what’s life like with the Spirit? The fruit of the Spirit is:

• love
• joy
• peace
• patience
• kindness
• goodness
• faithfulness
• gentleness
• self-control
  (Galatians 5:22-23a)

Maybe it’s just me, but the second list sounds a tad better than the first. If you agree, ask the Spirit to fire you up today so that you can help fill the world with God’s love.

GET FIRED UP

Today’s featured fruit: PEACE.

Peace with God? Sin damages our relationship with God. So, first we need peace with God. That’s exactly why Jesus – the Prince of Peace – came. His sacrifice on the cross wiped out sin’s penalty and gives us access to peace with God by grace through faith (Romans 5:1).

What exactly is peace? God’s peace is more than just absence of conflict. The Old Testament word – shalom – actually means “completeness” or “wholeness.” The New Testament word – eirene – describes harmonious relationships.

Inner peace? The Bible tells us not to be anxious or fearful but instead to pray and let the Holy Spirit fill us with “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding” (Philippians 4:6-7). Over and over, Jesus greeted his disciples with these simple words: “Peace be with you!” He wants the same for us.

Peace on earth? Peace isn’t something we should keep to ourselves. God wants it to overflow from our hearts into the world around us. “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility (Ephesians 2:14). We’re told to work with the Spirit to promote unity among believers and to “make every effort to live in peace with all men” (Ephesians 4:3, Hebrews 12:14).

Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
(Matthew 5:9)

PEACE BE WITH YOU!

Today’s featured fruit: JOY.

What exactly is joy? Joy isn’t an emotion. It isn’t happiness. It isn’t pleasure. It’s waaaaay deeper than that.

Joy comes from God. It’s available 24/7, no matter the circumstances.

What does the Bible say? Joy is a major theme in the Bible. It sings in the Psalms, graces the Gospels, epitomizes the Epistles and reverberates in Revelation. Here’s just a sampling:

• “Shout with joy to God, all the earth!” (Psalm 66:1)
• “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4)
• “[T]he joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10)
• Jesus told His disciples: “I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.” (John 16:22)
• “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” (James 1:2)
• “Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!” (Revelation 19:7)

C. S. Lewis called joy “the serious business of heaven.” Billy Sunday said: “If you have no joy in your religion, there’s a leak in your Christianity somewhere.”

LET THE SPIRIT
FILL YOU WITH JOY TODAY

Today’s featured fruit: LOVE.

Why love? There’s a reason love is first on the list. At its heart, the Bible is one gigantic love-fest. In fact, God IS love. The Bible says:

Dear friends, let us love one another for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. (1 John 4:7-8)

What exactly is love? It’s not a feeling. It’s not a sentiment. It wasn’t invented by Hallmark or Hollywood.

Here’s God’s definition:

Love is patient,
love is kind.
It does not envy,
it does not boast,
it is not proud.
It is not rude,
it is not self-seeking,
it is not easily angered,
it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil
but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects,
always trusts,
always hopes,
always perseveres.
Love never fails.
(1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

LET THE SPIRIT FILL YOU
WITH LOVE TODAY

It’s SPIRIT WEEK 2013 here on GUWG where each day we’re taking a deeeeeep dive into what the Bible says about the Holy Spirit.

Today’s topic …

THE FRUIT TEST

Our flesh is direct conflict with the Holy Spirit. Who’s winning in your life?

Consider these two rather different lists …

1.  Fruit produced by the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21):

• hatred
• jealousy
• discord
• idolatry
• impurity
• selfish ambition
• fits of rage
• drunkenness
• sexual immorality

2. Fruit produced by the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22):

• love
• joy
• peace
• patience
• kindness
• goodness
• faithfulness
• gentleness
• self-control

Here’s the test: Would the people around you say they see more of List #1 or List #2 in your life? Be honest. Think deeeeeeply. Put yourself in their shoes.

GOT FRUIT?