As I fondly
look back on experiences in my life, I see that the Holy Spirit continues
to slowly replace in me the negative attributes of my personality with His
spiritual fruit recorded in Galatians 5:22-23…”But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and
self-control.”What do these words mean:
Love – affection for others
Joy – exuberance about life
Peace – serenity
Patience – willingness to stick with it
Gentleness – compassion from the heart
Goodness – kindness that pervades our entire being
Meekness – humility and service
Self-Control – guided by the Spirit
Faith – trust that God knows what He’s doing
Now look at their opposites, these negative characteristics: Envy, strife, hatred, bitterness, self-centeredness, pride, criticism, worry, depression, quitters and complainers, backbiters, and people who put work and fun ahead of God (2 Timothy 3:1-5).
Take a moment to go back over this list of negative characteristics. Read each one and think about it before you go to the next characteristic. Do you see any of these negative attributes in your self? Are you willing to submit this area of your life to God? Are you willing to allow Him to replace these negative traits in your life with the fruit of His Spirit?
The Good News is that Jesus Christ sanctifies us moment-by-moment! Let Him replace: hatred with love, depression with true joy, discontentment with peace, irritation with patience, criticism with gentleness, backbiting with goodness, pride with meekness, excess with self-control, and worry with the faith of God as we are controlled and guided by His Spirit.
