Tag Archives: fruit of the spirit

Controlling Myself!

“Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls.”  (Proverbs 25:28)  Well, this proverb tells us that we are to exercise self control!  When you look at the customs and times that King Solomon lived in, a city torn down without walls represented a deserted, unprotected, and defeated place of habitation.  King Solomon likens this to a person who does not “rule his spirit”, which means to control the thoughts, words, and deeds.  For the modern Christian, it means cooperating with the Holy Spirit so that we can bear the fruit of temperance!  This is only possible if we are saved with the Spirit of God leading and guiding our lives!  It is possible, you know, although at times it can be challenging.

Let’s seek to be controlled by Holy Spirit so that we will not live our lives out of control, becoming like a deserted, unprotected, and uninhabited city!  The word declares that the love of God has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5).  He is the one who dwells inside of us to assist us in bearing all the manifested fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).  We can do this!  Lets exercise self control in every area of our lives, internally and externally.  Our fruit is produced beginning on the inside and then made manifest and visible outwardly so that we are light shining in a dark world.

If you enjoy the spiritual nuggets provided on this website, please leave a comment.  We would absolutely love to hear from you.  Also, if you feel led by the Spirit to assist this ministry in spreading the Gospel, please use the “donate” button on the side of the page to make a contribution into good soil!  Leave your name and email address also if you would like to receive periodic email news from this ministry.  There is a place for joining our email list on the side of page also.  We love and appreciate you and pray for you often.

140810-151113

When What is Meant to Bring Patience, Only Brings Aggravation!

Hello!  At times in life we experience an overwhelming season of frustration and aggravation that causes us to lose out on the positive fruit bearing process that the Lord means for us to experience.  What am I talking about?  I am talking about going through!  James 1:2-3 says it like this:

2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; (different kinds of temptations and trials)   3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

The Lord means for the troubles and trials to work patience but most of the time in my own life, I can testify that these trials only works AGGRAVATION!  The truth is, God oftentimes allow some of our troubles so that these can work something into our character.  You remember the verses of scripture in Galatians chapter 5 where it talks about the fruit of the spirit.  When we go through, our character should always be affected.  We can either respond by bearing good fruit or we can bear spoiled fruit and be bitter, complain, and be doubtful.  This is, in reality, a process and we must always be mindful of how we respond to trouble, battles, assaults, and attacks from our enemy.  If you have failed in this area, don’t sweat it.  Just dust yourself off and continue to look to the Lord and His word.  Repent and keep it moving.  You are not the only one.  I have failed time and time again in this area and am well qualified to speak on the subject.  Sometimes we are going through a pruning process where the gardener (Father God) is pruning the dead leaves from us so that we can bear greater and more beautiful fruit.  What season are you in?  If you are in the dead of winter, hold on spring is coming.  No season stays the same.

Father, I pray that the painful trials in my life will cause me to be refined in my character so that I can look more and more like Jesus.  I want to bear the nature of Christ, which is the fruit of the Holy Spirit….love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, temperance!  Never let the trials of life keep you from His feet!