"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Galatians 5:22-23.
I want to exemplify those fruits, don't you? I would think we all do, but for many of us {at least for me}, Satan has put misconceptions in my mind about what the fruit really looks like.
"If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all" - Every mom who ever lived
For years I confused the fruit of the Spirit with being 'NICE'. I thought that I shouldn't get angry or being confused and sad were weaknesses and didn't demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit. But that just isn't the case. Jesus got angry, he just used self-control and didn't scream and yell like I do sometimes. He spoke out of love, not malice or hate, but he still delivered some pretty stinging messages.
"Comparison is the thief of joy" - Theodore Roosevelt
Another misconception I have held is that there is a certain 'look' to the fruit of the Spirit. While it is wonderful to have role models and people you look up to, YOU AREN'T THEM. God created you with specific gifts, talents and PERSONALITY! God doesn't expect or even WANT all of our fruit to look the same.
My joy does NOT look the same as my husband's {I tend to jump around, laugh, cry, make noise, you get the picture...he just smiles and nods his head...hmmm} but that doesn't mean that either of us is doing joy wrong, just differently. Likewise, different situations call for different examples of the fruit.
Consider all the different types of fruit; apples, pineapples, watermelon, oranges, kiwi, cherries...the list goes on and on! They are all considered fruit and they all taste good, but they are all different. Isn't fruit salad better with a little variety anyway?
I want to be the BEST kind of fruit God made ME to be !
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