Do you like to think you are in control? Do you think you can control yourself? How patient are you? Do you consider yourself to be a generous person? Are you a kind person? Do you have joy in your life? Are you a loving person? Are you gentle? How faithful are you?
Most of us either think or want to think we are in control. We may even like to think we have self-control, but don’t put a plate of our favorite cookies in front of us. Our self-control and our patience can quickly fly right out the door. We can quickly fail the test for both.
When we look at the list of the fruits of the Spirit closely, we may find ourselves weaving in and out of them. We may be experiencing one or more of those fruits for a while, then we slide out of them. But how much of that is due to our own efforts and how much is fruit coming from walking with and following the lead of the Holy Spirit?
For many, they attempt to fulfill this list on their own. We try really hard to be kind and gentle. We try to maintain self-control. We love some and not others while telling ourselves we need to love everyone, but not making much progress on it. We tell ourselves to be patient, but it wears thin quickly when someone cuts us off in traffic.
What we need to do is stop trying to do it on our own. There is a reason this list is called the fruit of the Spirit. When the Holy Spirit lives in us and we submit to him, these things come about naturally. In fact, they come about abundantly, and we are set apart, seen by others as being different than anyone else they know. So, stop trying to do it yourself and allow the Holy Spirit to work through you.
I pray we all stop trying to exercise the fruits of the Spirit on our own. I pray we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us. I pray each one of us lives the abundant life Jesus promised through the Holy Spirit. Quit doing it on your own. Allow the Holy Spirit to work in you. Live the abundant life.
Galatians 5:22-23 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.
Marty Pressey 