Fruit of the Spirit – Reaching Hurting Women Ministries

REACHING HURTING WOMEN MINISTRIES OFFERS FOUR THEMES FOR CONTEMPLATION EVERY MONTH OF THE YEAR.

EACH OF THE FOUR POWER-PACKED THEMES ARE A 12-MONTH STUDY SERIES ASSIGNED TO A SPECIFIC FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH. IN MONTHS WITH FIVE FRIDAYS I’LL BE REVIEWING TOUCHING INSPIRATIONAL MUSIC.

On the second Friday of each month in 2021 we’re studying the Holy Spirit. We will learn who the Holy Spirit is, about His gifts and fruit given to us as believers and how to walk those out in our life each day. This is the fourth post in The Holy Spirit Study series.

While the gifts of Holy Spirit are virtues, the fruit are the resulting moral actions that flow from those gifts. With the help of Holy Spirit we are able to walk in these fruit during our daily lives and display them to those around us. In today’s post we will focus on the fruit of love and joy.

But the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit within you is divine love in all its varied expressions: joy that overflows, peace that subdues, patience that endures, kindness in action, a life full of virtue, faith that prevails, gentleness of heart, and strength of spirit. ~ Galatians 5:22

LOVE is key. Without it nothing we do matters.

But earnestly desire and zealously cultivate the greatest and best gifts and graces (the higher gifts and the choicest graces). And yet I will show you a still more excellent way [one that is better by far and the highest of them all—love]. ~ 1 Corinthians 12:31

Love heads up the list of all the fruit of the Spirit. It is not only the foundation, but holds all the other fruit together. Love is the greatest manifestation of God’s Presence in our lives. If we are not having regular personal contact with God in His Word, prayer and worship, this fruit will be missing in the action of our life. Without love our faith doesn’t mean anything.

CONFESS LOVE OVER YOUR LIFE TODAY (from 1 Corinthians 13)

“I am patient and kind. I am not envious or boastful, rude or haughty. I’m not self-seeking. I don’t insist on my own way. I’m not touchy or fretful. I never fail because God’s love is in me!”

JOY in abundance overflows from His Presence!

With triumphant joy you will drink deeply
from the wells of salvation. ~ Isaiah 12:3

God puts His joy in us when we’re born again. Unlike the temporary happiness the world has to offer, joy isn’t dependent on outward circumstances. Rather it’s a powerful force that resides in us and overflows in abundance as we continue in personal contact with God by His Word, worship and prayer. The more fellowship we have with Him, the more joy will flow in our life.

CONFESS JOY OVER YOUR LIFE TODAY (from 2 Corinthians 2:14)

“I’m not moved by my circumstance or what I see. I am only moved by God’s Word and He always brings me to victory. I choose praise and thanksgiving. I choose joy today!”

Stay in close personal contact with God each day to walk in the abundance of the fruit of love and joy in your life. Be intentional to spend time with God in His Word and participate in some form of worship and prayer time. When we do we will find our levels of love and joy will increase exponentially.

Today we have two videos to top off our post! These songs will get the love and joy fruit of the Spirit energies flowing in your life. Turn it up for: Real Love by Hillsong Young and Free and Joy by For King and Country.

In keeping with the theme of my last blog, I want to talk about being a seed used for and by God to help grow The Kingdom. As children of The King, we not only have the opportunity for our own internal growth by The Holy Spirit and The Word of God; but we have a responsibility to spread ourselves as seed to a hurt and dying world. We must be able to plant The Love of God in the hearts of those we come in contact with.

When we are born again, The Holy Spirit comes to live in our spirit giving us access to The Fruit of The Spirit. Notice it is fruit, not fruits. In other words, as Galatians 5:23 states – Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control are The Fruit of the Holy Spirit, collectively. They work in conjunction with each other. I heard Joyce Meyer say that Love and Self-Control are the book ends that hold the rest in place. If we can just walk in love and self-control the others will naturally come along.

When we are walking in The Spirit we have the ability to tap into The Fruit, as we go about life. We also have the ability to grieve, stifle or put a damper on The Holy Spirit by letting our Soul rule. Because our Soul is made up of our Mind, Will and Emotions, it’s very easy to let this happen.

As we are growing, changing and maturing; learning how to walk in the love and forgiveness that God has shown us in spite of our own sinful humanity; we must be able to show The Fruit of The Spirit in our lives each and every day. The challenge is being a fruitful seed that cracks open to bear the fruit inside without cracking up mentally, emotionally and physically! How do we handle the pressure that causes us to crack without cracking up?

I will be a seed that will crack only to the point of dying to self. What’s left behind will be the empty shell from which the plant’s roots grow. This plant can’t be just a beautiful flower, looking for popularity or demanding the spotlight. It must be a humble fruit tree, modest yet serious; developing quietly away from the public view, waiting for it’s role to be revealed. It’s roots must stand solid on The Rock fed only by The Living Water!

If you’ve been following my blog you know I’ve had numerous opportunities to crack up these last several months. But I’m determined The Holy Spirit will rule me, not my Soul! I’ve been down that road too many times and I’m not going around that mountain again! I will walk expecting the favor of the Lord. I will keep praise and thanksgiving on my lips. I will put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness! I am an Overcomer!