Fruit of the Holy Spirit in You - Goodness (Matthew 23:23) Day 68
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Goodness (The Fruit of the Spirit in You)
Goodness Day 68
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and
anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice
and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others
undone.
Matthew
23:23
Each year, countless people vow to lose weight. They buy
exercise equipment or videos that promise a body makeover. They see commercials
with testimonials from people who say they have used certain fitness programs
and had extreme results. Many people eventually purchase the equipment or
videos expecting certain results, but fail to accept a key component to success
- the diet. One can exercise regularly, but junk food each day will prevent the
progress desired.
Believers often face a similar test. We learn outward actions
to act like followers of Christ, yet we fail to care for the more important
matters of the soul. We may have traditional religious activities and
conversations like the scribes and Pharisees did. However, unless we commit our
hearts to the weightier matters of Christ’s teachings exemplified through the
fruit of the Spirit, we cannot reach a higher place in Christ.
So, let us work to purge ourselves of the activities,
mindsets, and things that prevent us from growing stronger in Christ. Let us
subscribe to a diet that produces a closer walk with Christ. Instead of only
seeking the outward results that others can see, let us seek a makeover from
the inside out. Then, our good works will reveal our spiritual fitness.
See more at www.thefruitinyou.com
Monday, April 13, 2015
Goodness (The Fruit of the Spirit in You)
Goodness Day 67
Love . . . thinks no evil;
1
Corinthians 13:5
In loving others, there is often the fear of becoming
vulnerable to emotional hurts and disappointments. When we are hurt, there is
then the tendency to say, “I will forgive, but I will not forget.” Some people
even offer that it is not possible to control what we think, and thus,
impossible to forget. So, why even pretend to forgive.
We may not be responsible for what others do to us or for the
actions that take place around us. We are, however, responsible for how we choose
to respond to situations. Therefore, let us choose to respond, in love, with acts
of goodness. Let us not waste time considering potentially negative
circumstances that might never even
occur. Let us avoid spending emotional energy on how we might respond to defend ourselves against those who might upset us. Instead, we can focus on
the good that will come when we
respond positively with good works and love.
See more at www.thefruitinyou.com
Thursday, April 9, 2015
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Goodness (The Fruit of the Spirit in You)
Goodness Day 66
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and
glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew
5:16
Businesses are often successful when there is the presence of
at least two components: 1) a good product or service and 2) good marketing or
advertising to inform others about the business. As believers, we should be
about Christ’s business. Nothing can top the service He provided that made
forgiveness and salvation available to all. So, we should serve as living
commercials, advertising how we have been blessed and how He is available to
all.
When we let the light of Christ in us shine, we broadcast to
all the gift of His love and grace. Too often, we try to lead others to Christ
by revealing their sins and personal darkness without revealing to them the
light and love of Christ. Jesus tells us here in Matthew 5:16 that when we let
our light shine, others will see Christ’s goodness for themselves.
Let us live our lives in such a way that we regularly promote
Christ. Let us give others free samples of the goodness that is associated with
Christ. When we are walking models of His joy and show His light by our good
works, we glorify our Father in Heaven.
See more at www.thefruitinyou.com
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Monday, April 6, 2015
Goodness (The Fruit of the Spirit in You)
Goodness Day 65
And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Colossians
3:17
There are various professions in which someone is appointed to
speak on behalf of some other person or business. Whether as an agent, lawyer,
or spokesperson, the job requires spreading a particular message or idea for
another. In each case, the performance of the person hired may lead to positive
or negative impressions about who or what they are representing. The result is
that we often form our opinions about certain people or companies based on our
interactions with their agents or representatives. This may be for better or
for worse.
Similarly, those who have not accepted Christ but know of our
faith in Him, may look to us to gather an understanding of what Christianity is
really about in practice. As His representatives, we have grand opportunities
to make statements about His goodness. We can easily do this through the
goodness of our words and deeds.
What impression would others have about God based on your
actions? When you have the opportunity to reveal the fruit of the Spirit in
your words and deeds, what are you showing? Are you working to be a
representative of Jesus?
Whatever we say or do, let us try to reveal the goodness of
Jesus in us. We never know who is watching!
See more at www.thefruitinyou.com
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