Thursday, December 3 rd
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)
This is one of my favorite verses in Scripture. Paul is writing here abut the Fruit of the Spirit. In short, these are the traits and attributes of God. Through following Him, we should begin to emulate these traits ourselves. Because we are connected to Jesus, we should bear the same fruit as He does. At Christmas we celebrate the coming of Jesus, our Prince of “peace!” Peace is just one of these fruit, but it is so needed in this season.
Ironically, it is very difficult to be peaceful during Christmas with all of the chaos of the seasonal traditions. And in the current season we find ourselves in with lockdowns and so much uncertainty in the world… Peace may seem but a distant pipe dream in 2020! With all that going on, Christmas season (especially the 2020 Christmas season) may be when it is hardest to bear the Fruit of the Spirit. But, what is impossible to man is not out of God’s reach! Invite the Spirit of God, the giver of peace, the comforter, to fill you with peace this year. Over the next few weeks, we invite you to pray to God that you might continue bearing this fruit, the fruit of peace within your heart, your family, and your community.
Author Ian Jeffries and Tom Hartung
❤️