This evening I was chillin with Laura and Michael and talking and I told Laura, "I've been patient my whole life...I don't want to be patient anymore!" She laughed and said, "As long as you have the other fruits you should be able to make it without patience. Although," she continued, "once you loose patience, self-control will also be gone." To which I added, "and if you loose patience then you've already lost peace."
And the more I think about it the more I see how the fruits are linked together in such a way that you really can't loose one without the rest becoming less potent or obsolete. And conversely the others help strengthen each other.
So while I may be struggling with patience, if I continue to let God work those other fruits in my life by loving those around me, allowing the joy of the Lord to be my strength, resting in His peace, showing His kindness and goodness to others, remembering faithfulness and gentleness and excersing self-control, it will be that much easier to be patient no matter what is going on around me. It's really an all-or-none. I can't pick and choose which fruits I'm going to like today and ignore the rest. :) Thank God I don't have that option!
1 comment:
Love your post. I would have to say that in this regard, you are a very "Fruitful" person. That is why we love you so much! By the way, we've been doing the Fruits of the Spirit here at New Life, too! How strange is that : )
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