Girlfriends in God - June 28, 2007
June 28, 2007
Sweet, Sweet Summertime!
Part 1
Today’s truth
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23
Friend to Friend
The dog days of summer are here! I love summertime. Just writing the word makes me think of some of my favorite, God-given, healthy pleasures, like juicy watermelon, fresh strawberries, tomato sandwiches, corn on the cob, and sweet peaches. Then there are some not-so-healthy family favorites, like popsicles, ice cream, snow cones, and cotton candy. (Are you seeing a trend here? I tend to relate seasons with foods!) Our calendars are jam packed with fun, food-filled events like parades, picnics, play dates and parties. Good stuff. Good times. Summer rocks!
All my girlfriends know this about me - I believe in eating healthy. I feel that it is clearly a spiritual discipline to care for my body responsibly. Now, does that mean that I don’t eat any junk? Heavens, no! I’m a big fan of dark chocolate, hot cheesy dips, and tortilla chips. I actually feel very strongly that chocolate should be one of the food groups! (Let’s all write the FDA about that one…just kidding…don’t write the FDA.)
One thing I do to maintain optimal physical health is keep a large stash of fruit in the house. Fruit refreshes, replenishes and restores our bodies. Fruit is sweet like a treat and nourishing at the same time! It benefits our bodies and contributes to our physical wellness.
The “fruits of the Spirit” listed in the Bible nourish our spiritual wellness. And while the produce we buy at the grocery store has a tendency to be quite pricy, the fruits of the Spirit are free for the asking!
The fruits spoken of in Galatians 5 are our spiritual grocery list. Let’s take an expository look at how the Bible calls us to live concerning these fruits. We’ll consume God’s Word…kind of like a fruit of the Spirit smoothie! :) Today we taste the first four, and tomorrow we will savor the final five:
LOVE
Luke 10:27 “He answered: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself."
1 Corinthians 13:13 “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
1 Peter 4:8 “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
1 John 4:16 “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.”
JOY
Psalm 126:3 “The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.”
Psalm 71:23 “My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you - I, whom you have redeemed.”
Psalm 28:7 “The LORD is my strength and my shield: my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.”
Isaiah 51:11 “The ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.”
PEACE
Romans 5:1 “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.”
Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.”
Romans 8:6 “The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.”
PATIENCE
Proverbs 15:18 “A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel.”
Ecclesiastes 7:8 “The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.”
Ecclesiastes 7:9 “Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.”
Psalm 37:7-8 “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.”
God is waiting for us to come to Him for spiritual nourishment. He alone can equip us to share love, joy, peace, and patience today.
Let’s Pray
Dear Lord, Thank you for demonstrating the fruits of the Spirit perfectly through Your Son, Jesus. Please forgive me for all of the times I have failed to show love, joy, peace, and patience in my life. I want to exemplify these attributes in my life. Pour Your Spirit on me so I can be fueled by Your perfect love.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Now it’s Your Turn
Which of these fruits do you need the most help with today? Spend a few minutes with the Lord in prayer about this.
Memorize the fruits of the Spirit – be able to list all nine!!
Pick out one favorite verse listed from each fruit of the Spirit. Write each of them down…then tuck them away in your heart.
More from the girls
Hey, GiGs! Got some healthy summer recipes? We’d love to see them! Email me with your favorite summer recipe!! I will select my three favorites and post them on my myspace blog next week for everyone to see. Oh, this is so much fun! I love doing life with you! Gwen
For great Christian music to play at your next family picnic, order Gwen’s CD – Because.
