Conclusion: The Fruit of the Spirit Series

   “Grow deep roots to harvest rich fruit! When your roots run deep, you cannot help but bear the fruit of the Spirit” (Michael Beckwith).

   Thus ends the journey through the fruits of the spirit. Even though my journey of writing about the fruits of the spirit has ended my study and application of them in my life has not. Because, if we as Christians stop learning about and applying the fruits of the spirit then we fail to grow in God.

   Through this journey I learned a few things that I hope you realized as well. First, all of the fruits of the spirit are connected in one way or another. Detaching them was a difficult task as was defining them. For example: if one has a gentle spirit then that person will love others. If that person loves others then the person will show self-control if someone else angers him, and so on.

   Another aspect I hope you have seen is that without God one cannot exhibit all of the fruits of the spirit. This is why one must be in constant communication with God. And, why you must have a relationship with God. God wants us to be his friend, and he wants him to grow in him. Above all else we must remember that when certain things happen in our lives, that we may not like, it is all within God’s plan for us. That is why we must trust him.

   So, are you willing to grow and exhibit the fruits of the spirit? Do you have a relationship with God in order to better exhibit the fruits of the spirit?

   Matthew 7:15-20, John 15:1, Matthew 6:19-21, Galatians 5:22-23

Learning to Control Yourself: The Fruit of the Spirit Series

   “By constant self-discipline and self-control you can develop greatness of character” (Grenville Kleise).

   Imagine you walk into a restaurant. You smell the delicious food such as potatoes, ham loaf, and mac and cheese. You sit down at a table and decide to order the buffet. As you walk up to the buffet line you can already taste the delicious food. Then you eat your first full plate of food. You move on to eating your second plate. Then you look at the deserts. You feel them calling you but you already feel full. Against your better judgement you decide to go up and get a plate of deserts. After you finish your stomach is not happy. You go home and barely make it to your bed before you pass out.

   While you were at the buffet you were not able to “exercise restraint over your own impulses, emotions, or desires” (Merriam-Webster). You did not have self-control. Controlling one’s self can come in many different shapes. You can have control over your emotions and desires but that’s not always easy.

   It is impossible to control you emotions and desires without the help of God. During times that your emotions are taking over pray for patience. Count to ten and realize that the next thing you do may hurt someone you care about or yourself. Ask God to give you peace in order to stay calm.

   So, are you willing to work on controlling yourself? Do you realize that your actions may hurt someone if you do not control yourself? Are you willing to ask God to help you control your emotions and desires?

   2 Peter 1:5-7, 2 Timothy 1:7, Proverbs 16:32, Galatians 5:22-23

When Your Mood Ring Changes Color...

   Last year my family took a trip to Gettysburg. While we were there we got to look around the tourist shops. I have always liked mood rings and while we were there I finally got one. I have been wearing it every once in a while. What is interesting about it is that I can look down and see that it is purple then the next minute it is green.

   I realize that mood rings are based off of temperature and not your actual moods. But, moods and emotions can change in an instant because of what we are going through. You could be having a great day then someone cuts you off in traffic. Your day has gone from great to horrible.

   As Christians we are called to be positive and let our light shine for Christ. Our light will not shine if we are unhappy or angry all the time because most people are unhappy or angry. In order for us to have a positive attitude we must learn self-control. We need to have control over our emotions. When someone cuts us off in traffic we can choose to get upset or we can choose to let it go. We choose whether or not we look at the positives or negatives in life.

   Is it easy to control our emotions? No, it is not easy to do that. In fact, we cannot control our emotions on our own all the time. We can ask for help though. We can ask God to help us control our emotions. In those times we get cut off, we can ask God to help us stay calm.

   So, do you have control over your emotions? If not, what can you do to help gain control over your emotions?

   2 Peter 1:5-7, 2 Timothy 1:7, Proverbs 16:32