But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 God is at work in us. He's constantly molding us so we can be who we need to be for the situations He has for us to do (Philippians 2:13). He is bringing the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control—to the forefront of our character. What's really interesting is how it is in everyone's best interest for Him to do so. As we move into the call that God has on our lives, it glorifies Him, it benefits us, and it impacts those we come in contact with. We are able to be a powerful witness of the life-changing power of God that comes on the inside of a person when he or she is born again (Acts 1:8).

We can trust God. He is faithful. Sometimes it doesn't feel great to have the negative tendencies worked out of our lives. It can be painful to let go of things that feel so comfortable; that feel like a part of who we are. But God didn't say that He would clean up our hearts; He said He would give us a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26). Frustration has to give way to peace. Deceit has to give way to goodness. Anger has to give way to gentleness.

As we pursue Him and seek out the plan He has for us as individuals, He'll sustain us, equip us, and direct us into His perfect plan for our lives (Matthew 6:33). He'll guide our steps and make sure that we are in the proper place in the Body (Proverbs 20:24; Ephesians 4:16). We can be confident that God gives us everything that we need pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). We can be assured that His plans for us are good (Jeremiah 29:11). He loves us!

It's so important for us to spend our lifetimes learning how to have faith in God in every situation. We have to go directly to God and say, "God, help me." You have the voice of reason in you—your spirit is hooked right up to the Holy Spirit. If we can learn to really trust God in the middle of every situation, we can be full of expectation that our lives will overflow with impact, effectiveness, and fruitfulness. God is the God of more than enough. He always does exceeding abundantly beyond all we could ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).

Seek Him and get ready,
Pastor Jeff




© 2007 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.