Apostle

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Fruitful – Patience

 

This week I’m continuing a blog series on the fruit of the Spirit. I’m excited about this series and I’m believing God that we continue to be FRUITFUL! So this week let’s talk about The Fruit of the Spirit – Patience.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.-Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV

Patience is not something our society has built for us. As a matter of fact our society has become one of convenience and speed. We don’t write letters anymore, we send email. We don’t cook great food, we have mediocre food handed through a window. We don’t know our bankers name because use a machine built into a wall. All of these modern conveniences are great up to a point. What happens when we’re in a situation and we have to wait? Waiting? Really? We aren’t conditioned to wait anymore. We live in a “want it, get it” world and it caters to impatience. I’ve learned over the years that waiting is a part of God’s plan for us and it builds whatever we need in us to sustain us when we live out our purpose. As a parent, I’ve learned to become very patient with my children… especially when they act a mess and don’t get it! I think it’s just a very tiny glimpse into the patience God has with us as a Heavenly Father. He’s so patient with us.

He wants us to be like Him so he gives us the fruit of the Spirit. Patience is a fruit that is grown in our lives and like peace, it is grown through hard times not when everything is good.

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. -James 1:2-4 NKJV

Patience has a work in us that we know nothing of. It creates in us the perfect work of God. We may want the next level, we may want that promotion, we may want to plant that church, or start that business. We pray and ask God and nothing seems to happen. So what gives? What’s the deal? Doesn’t God wants us to move forward? The answer is yes but not yet. All of God’s promises are “yes and amen” according to 2 Corinthians 1:20 but they aren’t all right now! When we wait patiently…. not just wait impatiently like a little kid at Disney, but wait PATIENTLY, then we see those promises. Don’t give up in your season of waiting. I’ve had to wait through many seasons of my life. The key to waiting is to not compare your life to others. Don’t look around at the lives of other people who seem to be living the destiny you so desperately want. You don’t see their wait so you have no idea what they went through to be where they are. Maybe the best thing we can do is stop looking at social media! That’s just a snapshot of a highlight reel… it’s not real life!

Listen… the testing of your faith produces patience and patience will produce a work of God’s perfection in you…. if you just wait.

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Fruitful – Peace

 

This week I’m continuing a blog series on the fruit of the Spirit. I’m excited about this series and I’m believing God that we continue to be FRUITFUL! So this week let’s talk about The Fruit of the Spirit – Peace.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.-Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV

“I just lost my job. People are saying things about me that aren’t true. My spouse is acting crazy. My kids are acting crazy. My car payment is due. My mortgage is late! What do I do?” These are things people are facing and the immediate reaction is for us to freak out. I’ve found that most people live their life in reactionary mode. They react to one situation then another. I’ve been here before. I overreact and sometimes react to things that have no bearing on my present or my future. So what gives? What do we do when things fall apart or we really need something to happen but we can’t do anything about it? We stay in peace. This sounds so nice doesn’t it? Just stay in peace and it’s all going to be alright. Ha! Yeah sure. How do I stay in peace when everything around me isn’t peaceful? Some folks practice yoga or go get a massage or put on some soothing music or drink a glass of wine to find peace. Finding peace isn’t something we actually find. Peace is something we experience. Peace isn’t something on the exterior, peace is found through our inward relationship with God. Peace isn’t something we can just make happen, it’s a fruit that is grown and it’s grown through chaos. Peace is grown through adversity.

Reacting to a situation or making a big decision requires peace. These days my life is pretty peaceful, except when I invite chaos into my life by my own accord! That’s right, chaos can’t exist unless you allow it. Before we react or act on something we should measure our peace. If we are in the middle of something that requires a decision, we need to check our peace. If we have unrest in our spirit or anxiety about something then we aren’t in peace. Sometimes we have to make decisions by faith when we are unsure; but being unsure and being anxious or in unrest are not the same. When we make decisions in faith we should still have peace. Having peace in faith means that maybe you have no idea how it will all turn out but you move forward anyway because of the peace of God.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. -Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV

Peace will guard us against anxiety through circumstance if we have prayed and asked God to help us. Allowing peace to guard us is what will get us through any chaos that may be happening in our lives.

Take a deep breath, and tell yourself, “It’s all gonna be ok.” Stay in peace.

 

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Fruitful – Joy

 

This week I’m continuing a blog series on the fruit of the Spirit. I’m excited about this series and I’m believing God that we continue to be FRUITFUL! So this week let’s talk about The Fruit of the Spirit – Joy.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.-Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV

“Do what makes you happy. Whatever makes you happy, go for it! Happiness is the key to life. Don’t worry, be happy! If he doesn’t make you happy, then move on!” These are the kinds of statements that society and culture has told us; that happiness is what matters most. These statements aren’t truth, they are feel good sentiments. The problem is happiness is an emotion. Happiness can come and go depending on exterior circumstance. If we are just moving towards what makes us happy then we are moving towards disappointment. News Flash: We aren’t always going to be happy. People will let us down, leadership will let us down, our spouse will let us down, our kids will let us down, our life may let us down…. so is happiness really the goal? Some say, “If I had more money, I’d be happy.” The problem is there are many rich and famous people who’ve committed suicide because they didn’t find happiness. Money won’t make you happy, it will just make you more comfortable in your misery. Happiness comes and goes like a warm summer breeze.

Happiness is often mistaken with joy. Joy and happiness might be closely related but they are actually very different. Happiness takes place in your soul. Your soul is your mind, will, and emotions. So when you experience something fun or exciting your soulish response is happiness. But what about when you experience something that is frustrating or disappointing, well then you experience sadness in your emotions; also known as your soul. We are made up of a trichotomy. We are a spirit, we have a soul, we live in a body. As believers, it’s vital for us to understand that our souls are what Jesus came to save and when we get saved our spirits are where the Holy Spirit takes residence, and our bodies, well they are just the vehicle to get us to our destiny. So when something good happens to us we feel happiness in our soul.

Let’s look at the Apostle Paul, “the joyful jailbird” as I like to put it. He was jailed for preaching the gospel and while he was on house arrest for two years in Rome, Paul’s Roman incarceration produced three great letters to the churches of Ephesus, Colosse, and Philippi, as well as a personal letter to his friend Philemon. His other two-year imprisonment, in Caesarea, afforded him no such luxuries but the letter to the Philippians is what I want to zero in on in this post.

“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all.” -Philippians 1:3-4
“I rejoice and share my joy with you all.” -Philippians 2:17
“Rejoice in the Lord.” -Philippians 3:1
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” -Philippians 4:4

The Apostle Paul spoke about joy not happiness. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. This means it is only experienced in our spirit which is what should override our soul basically our joy should override our emotions. Joy is a permanent attitude. It is what keeps us moving forward when all else seems to have gone to crap. Joy is something different. Joy is when everything seems to being going to hell but I praise Him anyway! I reJOICE because of who God is! I give Him praise in my most dire of circumstances! Joy is when I don’t know how things are going to turn out but I have faith that God is a good Father and He will turn it out for my favor! This is joy. Joy is where we should live as believers. It is a fruit that is grown through tough situations and maybe even continuous heartache. Joy is what puts a smile on our face when there’s no reason to smile. Whatever you are going through right now, please believe me joy will get you through it. Joy is more than a fruit it is actual strength that will make sure you make it!

Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” -Nehemiah 8:10 (NKJV)

Nehemiah encourages us to stay in joy because it is something that will keep us going. No matter what you experience this week, remember that joy will keep things alright in your world.

Stay in JOY!