Do you strive to be a better person? Do you work hard at it and seem to make no progress? Are you wondering if you will ever be better than you are today? Are you on the verge of giving up trying? Have you turned to the One who can make the change?
Amidst the chaos going on in our world right now, we see some people striving to rise above the fray. We see some going the extra mile to do good for others. We see some making a special effort to be nice. We see some doing good.
Yet, many of us are struggling. We are struggling with the stay at home orders. We are struggling with the health safety precautions we need to take. We are struggling with not going to the movies. We are struggling with not going out to eat. We are struggling with things being far from normal.
As we go through our struggles, we find ourselves dealing with lethargy, short tempers, depression, and desires to do something, anything. We are restless. We feel conflicted, wanting to go, and yet, not wanting to go. We are looking for relief.
There is One who can provide the relief we need. There is One who can provide us with the peace our soul needs. There is One who can satisfy our strivings for being better. He is always with us and waiting for us to allow Him to work in our lives.
When we were baptized and accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, God put His Spirit inside us. As Jesus teaches His apostles in John 15:1-8, He is the vine and we are the branches. As the vine, He is rooted in God, providing the nutrients for the branches to bear fruit. Those nutrients come through the Holy Spirit, much like the nutrients drawn into the vine are passed along to the branches.
We see in today’s passage the fruit we will bear when we allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives. Notice, the fruit comes naturally. It’s not something we do on our own. It comes by way of the Spirit and our following His guidance and direction.
I pray we all allow the Spirit to work in our lives. I pray we follow His guidance and direction. I pray each of us bear much fruit. Experience the peace that comes from God. Listen for the Spirit’s guidance. Follow His lead. Bear the fruit of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Marty Pressey 