Fruits of the Spirit
22 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-25)
When you walk into my childhood home, one of the first things you’ll see is a picture of this verse from Galatians. It’s something I didn’t pay much attention to as a kid, to be honest. But now that I am out on my own, I think back to this picture and to the ways in which our parents raised my brother and I using the “fruits of the Spirit” as their guide in teaching us about the world, and the kind of people they want to raise. I am forever grateful for that, and their dedication and intentionality in doing so. So as you read about these fruits of the Spirit, how might you and your families or loved ones practice love, joy, peace, patience…really ALL of them, as you go about your summer? How might God be leading you to live your lives in and out of your homes guided by the loving hand of the Holy Spirit?