The Fruit of the Spirit

By: Melissa Baker

Love- God loves each and every one of us so very much! Because God loves us, we need to love others as well.  1 John 4:7-11

Joy- True joy comes from God. You can experience true joy regardless of your situation. The Joy of the Lord is our strength! Psalm 28:7

Peace- We have true peace when we have a relationship with Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

Patience- This is one area that can sometimes be the most challenging to demonstrate. however we must try our best to have patience. Colossians 3:12-15

Kindness- The importance of kindness is something we are taught when we are kids, but we sometimes forget just how important it really is to be kind. Jesus showed kindness to all people, so shouldn't we? Ephesians 4:32

Goodness- God created this world and everything in it. God wants us to experience the goodness of his creation. Let's slow down and experience God's goodness around us, and seek only the good things. Amos 5:14-15

Faithfulness- Everybody wants faithful people in our lives that will be there for us and that we can count on. Let's chose to be the kind of faithful person that we would want in our own lives. God is always faithful! And we can always count on Him! 1 Corinthians 1:9

Gentleness- Jesus was a great example of gentleness. Gentleness is something that is actually quite powerful and is the thing that can attract the most people to Jesus. In a world full of harshness, lets remember to be gentle. Philippians 4:5

Self Control- This can really be a struggle for a lot of people. Self control allows us to take over our actions and thoughts instead of just acting on our feelings alone. Proverbs 25:28

'But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There
is no law against these things!'

Galatians 5:22-23

Have a great day!

A Gentle Answer

By: Melissa Baker

It seems like just about every day, I am tempted to lose my temper.  When the kids are fighting, or things aren't going my way, sometimes I just want to scream or have an attitude. It's so easy to forget to be gentle. It's easy to forget to be kind and to not have a bad attitude. How we react to something or someone, will determine the environment and attitude around us AND within us. The Bible tells us many times about the importance being gentle and kind to one another. As a parent, when I yell or get angry, that rubs off on my kids and they become angry in return. The atmosphere then becomes chaotic and stressful. But if I remain calm, they stay calm and happy. If I talk to someone at church or work with an angry attitude, they might take offense and return the attitude. But if I am kind and gentle, its very likely that they will be also.  It's very interesting how as human beings, we kind of mirror each other, even in the smallest ways. That is why it's so important to remember to be gentle in the way we speak and act to each other. In a world full of hate, we need to create a kind and gentle atmosphere so others will mirror our behavior and it will spread to everyone else.

A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare. 

Proverbs 15:1 

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2

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

Just imagine for a second, that the way you talk to your kids or spouse, is the way God talks to you. Would you be happy with God talking to you the way you talk to others? Or would you be saddened or upset? We should always strive to treat others the way we want to be treated. I don't want someone constantly having an attitude with me or being harsh in the words they say. So I encourage you, pay attention to the way you interact with one another. Are we causing those around us to stumble and become angry, or are we spreading the love of Jesus in our words, actions AND attitudes. Remember to be gentle today to those around you. You just might be blessed by it in return!

Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be

ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate,

and always to be gentle toward everyone.

Titus 3:1-2

Have a great day!