| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “How to inhabit time” Our Bible verse for today: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23 (CSB) Our thought for today: “Which world will you live in?” In recent days we’ve been considering the importance of making good choices and establishing good habits, because as has been noted, we first form our habits but then our habits form us. We become what we do. So, how we choose to use our time, day-by-day and moment-by-moment, ultimately determines what kind of person we become and how our life turns out. In Galatians 5:19-23 the Apostle Paul creates a stark contrast between life in two very different worlds. First, in verses 19-21, he paints a picture of a dark world of bad choices and serious suffering: “Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I am warning you about these things – as I warned you before – that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” The world Paul describes is filled with adultery, broken marriages, sexually transmitted diseases, workaholism, anger, bitterness, conflict, selfishness, addiction, and damaged relationships. People living in that world are miserable and they are not experiencing the blessings of God. Now contrast that with life in the other world (life in right relationship with God): “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” The fruit of the Spirit are the characteristics or personality traits of Jesus which the Holy Spirit progressively develops in the life of the faithful Christian. Over time, as you grow in spiritual maturity, all of those virtues become increasingly evident in your life. It’s who you become as a person. Those virtues come to define your life. Read the list again. Those are the things everyone wants and is seeking in life. But many people are looking for love in all the wrong places; they’re seeking satisfaction in the wrong ways and from the wrong people. Or, more precisely, they’re looking for it in the wrong world. Satan can’t give you the things that only come from God. At best he can offer you only cheap imitations that are superficial and temporary. Day-by-day and moment-by-moment we make choices about which world we are going to live in, and therefore what our life will be like. God wants to bless you. He wants you to experience the fruit of the Spirit in ever-increasing measure in your life. But the choice is up to you. Which world will you live in? God bless, Pastor Jim |
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