DAY 6 : THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT - CHRIST IN YOU
When the Holy Spirit is living within you, your life will show it. He will make a visible difference in you.
Instead of living according to your flesh, you orient your life around God. Rather than your life being characterized by destructive patterns like “sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these,” you choose a different path. Your life, because of the light and beauty of the Holy Spirit, has a trajectory that shows increasing “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:19-23).
In other words, as you mature in Jesus, you begin to look more and more like Him. The power behind this change, this meaningful and marvelous movement within you, is the Holy Spirit.
Every day you will face the choice to act out of the Spirit or the flesh. They war against each other! But do not be afraid: the Holy Spirit is within you; God is for you. You have every advantage; the very authors of life are with you! Don’t get too discouraged when you fracture and fail. We all do. Confess what went wrong — look at it. What happened? Listen to the Holy Spirit identify within you any fault lines. Talk to God about it. He is patient! Feel the weight of your failure, then give it to Jesus and let it go. His blood cleanses you of all sin. Don’t live condemned; that’s not from God. Perk up — He will strengthen you. Walk closely with Him, and stay in step.
REFLECTION :
Morning Pause: Pause to open your life to the Holy Spirit this morning. Go through your agenda: what are you doing today? Invite the Holy Spirit to rule and overrule every aspect of your day.
Afternoon Pause: Jesus was and is such a beautiful Man. Pray that you will look more and more like Him in character: Loving. Joyful. Peaceful. Patient. Kind. Good. Faithful. Gentle. Full of self-control.
Evening Pause: Look at the fruit of your life today. Is there anything you need to confess and repent of? (Of course.) Do it and be free. Is there anything you can celebrate? Do it and enjoy. Rest in the Spirit and His freedom tonight.