Living by the Fruits of the Spirit

“The fruit of the Spirit is not a coconut!

The fruit of the Spirit is not a coconut!

If you want to be a coconut

you might as well hear it:

You can’t be a fruit of the Spirit!

Cause the fruit is love, joy, peace, patience, 

kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 

gentleness, and self-control!”

This is the Fruit of the Spirit song my daughter loves to sing around the house. One day as I was disciplining her about her attitude that song popped into my head. I reminded her those words she’s singing are not just words, but evidence that the Holy Spirit is in her heart. When she responds in anger she’s not showing gentleness; when she screams she’s not showing self-control. In her eyes I could see she just had a WOW moment, as did I! It was convicting for me also! How am I responding when the kids frustrate me? How do I act when things don’t go my way? I want to respond like I have Jesus in my life! The Bible says in Galatians 5:16-24

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions …”

Walk by the Spirit

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What does it mean to walk by the Spirit? Well the Bible tells you—

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

You see the Bible doesn’t say we don’t have feelings or emotions, but it does give us countless verses about what to do when we have those feelings! If I can be totally honest here, being a momma who has a son in heaven, causes my heart to ache when I see a little baby boy.  Recently my newest nephew was born. A preemie, a little warrior! I held him for the first time and in his face I saw my son’s face. For a second there I imagined myself holding my son and I couldn't hold back the tears. It was such a raw moment for me. How do I know that was a healing moment for me and not a hurting moment for me? Because instantly I was overcome with a deeper love and gratefulness for this baby. Feelings I’ve had before of bitterness and anger were replaced with love, joy, and peace. 

You Will Know Them by Their Fruits

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“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.” Matthew 7:15-20 (NKJV)

“You will know them by their fruits.”  Do people know you by the fruit of the Spirit? We may say we don’t care what people think, but God cares how His child is known. Are you known for being filled with the Spirit or being filled with hate? Anger? Perversion? Worldly? 

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” 1 John 2:15 ESV

Fill yourself with God’s Word—the Bible, sermons and worship music. Don’t let anything else enter your Spirit man/woman!

Author: Amanda Estremera a member of Legacy Church

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