Fruit of the Week
When Benjamin Franklin decided he wanted to become a better person, he listed 13 traits in which he needed improvement. He knew he was human and couldn't suddenly improve all 13 traits at one time. Therefore, Franklin concentrated on improving one trait each week. After 13 weeks, he started at the top of the list again so that, in a year's time, he worked on each trait four full weeks. After about five years, Franklin felt that he was becoming the person that he wanted to be.
So, as Christians, we will work on the Fruits of the Spirit. Each week try to improve your performance on one of the Fruits of the Spirit. Pray to God and ask Him to help you to live in the Fruits of His Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-23
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."
Love
This is love, charity, kindness, doing good things for others. You can insert your name wherever you see "Love". (From 1 Corinthians 13:4-8).
Love suffereth long
Love is kind
Love envieth not
Love vaunteth not itself
Love is not puffed up
Love doth not behave itself unseemly
Love seeketh not his/her own
Love is not easily provoked
Love thinketh no evil
Love rejoiceth not in iniquity
Love rejoiceth in truth
Love beareth all things
Love endureth all things
Love never fails
Joy
The Joy of the Lord is your Strength!
James 1:2 "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations..."
Jesus first
Others second
You third
Peace
Matthew 5:9
"Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God."
Psalms 34:14
"Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it."
Proverbs 3:1-2
"My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments; For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee."
John 14:27
"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you...Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
Psalm 119:165
"Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them."
Isaiah 26:3
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee."
If we trust in our Lord, keep His commandments, allow Him to lead us, and keep our minds on Him, we will have Peace in Jesus' Name!
Longsuffering
Longsuffering Is:
Patient endurance of insult, abuse, mistreatment, continual wrongs, trouble, difficulties, pain, unhappiness...without complaint! Enduring mental or physical discomfort for a protracted period of time patiently and without complaint!
Colossians 1:10-12
"That ye might walk worthy of the Lord...Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and lonsuffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father."
Colossians 3:12-13
"Put on therefore, as the elect of God, (...) longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye."
Ephesians 4:1-3
"I therefore...beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."
Gentleness
To have a humble and kind demeanor which calm another's anger; the ability to take unkind remarks with good nature. The ability to bear reproaches and slights, not easily provoked to anger, free from bitterness and contentiousness, having tranquility and stability in the spirit.
To be gentle is to live on the side of forgiveness rather than on the side of anger.
The Greek language in which the New Testament was first written defines gentleness as power under control. It is illustrated by a horse that has been tamed—strong and powerful, yet under control.
To be gentle in Christ is to have your anger and emotions under His control. One who is walking by the Spirit is going to be a gentle person even in the most trying circumstances through humility coupled with the strength to control one's behavior.
2 Samuel 22:36
"Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation; and thy gentleness hath made me great."
Goodness
Goodness is Christian excellence; moral virtue or excellence; showing kindness, generosity, or benevolence. Goodness is the deliberate preference of right to wrong, the firm and persistent resistance of wrong
Ephesians 5:9
"For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth."
Faith
Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing. Belief that does not rest on logical proof.
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
As Christians, we are justified—or made righteous—by faith. The just person is the one who has been justified, is accepted by God, and lives in harmony with God's will. But for this to happen, we must have the faith of little children.
Galatians 3:24
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Romans 5:1
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Meekness
Patient, submissive humbleness; to be gentle-hearted.
Meekness is a quiet, willing submission to God and to others. A meek person has a mild, gentle, non-retaliating spirit. Similar to gentleness, meekness could be called power under control.
There is a big difference between the lion running free in the wilds of Africa and the one responding to the lion tamer at the circus. The lion in the circus has all the same ferocity, energy, power, and strength of the one in the wild, but he is under the control of the lion tamer. The same is true of meekness. No longer does the lion in us seek its own cases and ends; it is submissive to the control of the Master. We don't lose our power; we harness it.
James 1:21
Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
1 Timothy 6:11
But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
Colossians 3:12
Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved,...meekness.
Titus 3:2
To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.
Zephaniah 2:3
...Seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger.
Temperance
Moderation and self-restraint, as in behavior or expression; restraint or moderation, esp. in yielding to one's appetites or desires
Temperance means self-control. It is control over the whole man (spirit, soul, and body) which enables us to live a victorious life. A person who has self-control is mild and calm, avoids extreme behavior, and exercises self-restraint in both actions and speech. Self-control isn't easy, but it is necessary for operating in the fruit of the Spirit.
We all know that athletes have to stay healthy and fit, with good food and a good workout routine. 1 Corinthians 9:25 tells us that, “And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things.” As spiritual athletes, we must stay spiritually healthy and fit, feeding ourselves with the healthful Fruits of the Spirit and exercising good temperance.
2 Peter 1:5-8
“And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be I you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh theses things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.”
If you want a strong body, then you have to feed it healthy food.
If you want a strong spirit, then it needs healthy food, too.
How about trying the Fruits of the Spirit?