Fruit of the Spirit, it's in there!

Galatians 5:22-23 (New International Version, ©2011)

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

We are these things. If we have accepted Christ as our Savior, and His Spirit lives in us, then we are these things.

We forget though. We get caught up in our personal drama and we believe Satan's lies...

Next time you find yourself saying the opposite, try this instead...

"I am loving, joyous, peaceful, forgiving, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and I have self control. I just need to act like it." It feels weird at first, but it really works!

A prayer for reminder:

Lord, I don't feel the Holy Spirit inside me sometimes. Quiet and peace is necessary for me to redirect my compass, breathe your love, and freshen my mind. Remind me today that I am Yours, You reside in me, and I am your faithful servant! AMEN

Any Given Day: 35

Conflict.

It seems that there has been some confusion.

Something takes place and it is viewed differently by each individual based on previous experience. What actually takes place, the event, the circumstance, the situation itself is irrelevant in the bigger picture.

How we perceive it, is entirely in the eye of the beholder. We don't have to have an answer or a solution right away. Solving conflict with combative confrontation rarely leads to resolution and always creates more drama. On the flip side, it's easier to put a bandaid on a problem or ignore it completely, but it doesn't make it go away...it just starts to fester...ultimately making the problem bigger.

Sometimes the only way to really get to the bottom of things is sometimes just to allow perspective. Space, time, thoughtfulness, and prayer ultimately will lead to understanding. Stepping back instead of engaging, without expectation, without a particular plan, without a solution ready. Just a chance to figure it out, without pressure or a time line. Then both parties can come back to the table calm and prepared.

Letting each individual go where they have to go, do what they have to do, and be who they have to be isn't a bad thing. It's just a thing. If Jesus had to walk up a mountain to get away from the crowds and row out from shore in order to clear his head, then perhaps maybe a walk alone in the dark or a drive to nowhere isn't such a bad idea.

When someone needs to think and sort out thoughts, a little time and space can go along way. Perspective can only be gained from distance, and healthy perspective keeps relationships from deteriorating due to lack of communication and understanding. A prayer for those who are not seeing eye to eye with someone they love today:

Lord, there is turmoil brewing. I don't have the answers, but I am confident that you do. Help us see the big picture and get to the bottom of what exactly the issues are. Provide us with the skills and vision in order to determine the best course of action. May your blessings be upon us as we set about righting the ship, no matter how large the task may seem. In Jesus Name, AMEN

Matthew 14:23

Any Given Day: 34

Family

It's amazing how much of who we are comes from our upbringing. Some of us grew up in healthy, happy households where parents and children communicated lovingly and everyone felt safe. Some of us didn't.

Our relationships as adults stem from what we learned as children, we internalize and carry that forward to our own children. Some of us take the time to examine (sometimes with professional help) how our individual experiences shaped our current state of affairs. Some of us don't. Some of us decide to do better than our parents, some of us forget we have that option.

You have that option. Breaking bad cycles and continuing good ones is a conscious choice each of us make when we become a spouse and a parent, or even just a significant other. There is a responsibility each of us has to ensure that the people we say we love feel safe and cared for. Relationships flourish with loving care, kind words, and acts of service. Relationships wither and die without them, at the cost of emotional bankruptcy.

God explains very clearly what a healthy family dynamic should look like throughout most books of the bible. Paul wrote Timothy a very poignant letter outlining how we should treat our family members. The care that he describes is not just financial. We have a responsibility to take care of each other emotionally as well. Then we can take care of our spiritual family more effectively outside of our house. We are all connected and it starts within the home.

A prayer for those who face conflict inside the walls that should be our safe haven from a crazy world...

Heavenly Father, You are the patriarch we should be looking to for guidance on how best to serve our families. Teach me how to handle mistreatment, and how to avoid inflicting pain on those I love most. Jesus showed love to His family, His followers, and those who despised Him. Teach me how to do the same. Give me the strength to stand tall, turn the other cheek, hold my tongue, and control my behavior. You love me unconditionally. Keep me close and protect me today. AMEN

1 Timothy 5:8

Any Given Day: 33

Potential

We all have it. Personal potential, professional potential, relational potential...how many actually realize it? As parents, our frustrations with our children are primarily born out of our desire to see our offspring realize their full potential. We work tirelessly in order to provide them with the tools and skills necessary for successful living. The rest, however, is up to them. In the long run, we can only be responsible for realizing our own.

Realizing potential begins with recognition. A quick look to the future can paint a beautiful picture, but it also has the ability to terrify us into paralysis. Seeing what we are capable of has far reaching consequences. Our potential only matters, however, if it is a part of God's plan for our lives.

Personal potential will only be realized if we strive to be the person God intended us to be. Professional potential will only be found if it serves a purpose greater than a paycheck. Relational potential only comes to fruition if God is blessing the relationship.

The question we should ask is "What is God thinking in terms of my ability to realize my potential?" He is an orderly God. The natural order of things requires recognition first, blessings next, then action. A straight line toward achieving God-given potential requires focus and work. None of it is easy. None of it will come quickly. All of it we will answer to eventually.

A prayer for those who are motivated to fulfill their potential:

Heavenly Father, you alone know the plan that is laid out for me. You have my best interests at heart and you know my weaknesses as well as my talents. Remind me to let you lead the way, and show me what true success looks like. Provide me with the tools, people, and skills necessary to assist me in making the right choices. My decisions will one day become my legacy. Thank you for showing us how to live our lives through Your Son. AMEN

Phillipians 1:6

Any Given Day: 32

Betrayal...

There are few things more heartbreaking than human betrayal. By it's very nature, it requires a breach of trust between two people who shared a mutual bond. Regardless if it is a financial deal gone wrong between two business partners, or a knife stuck in the heart of a significant other, or a brother turning on another brother, the results are devastating.

Humans are hard wired to be connected. We build relationships as we roll along through life, some superficial and some deep. Betrayal can only take place in the deeper relationships... when something was invested, where we hung our hopes and expectations, where a foundation of trust existed. It is so painful because we rested there, in contentment and honor, and one day, the proverbial rug is pulled out. Rudely, abruptly, and seemingly out of nowhere.

It happens for many reasons, and each person has a part to play. Once the damage has been done, it creates a cascade of events...all of them based in fear. Fear of more pain, failure, sorrow, brokenness, and regret. The natural reaction is to put up your barriers, harden your heart, and base future decisions on someone else's bad ones.

What do you suppose would have happened to humanity if Jesus had followed this formula?

How sad and heartbroken Jesus must have been to know that one of His brothers, a trusted follower, would succumb to Satan and betray his Master. What would it have been like to walk alone in the garden, knowing your end was coming, feeling every human emotion... and the ultimate rejection? Jesus faced pain and suffering beyond our understanding, yet He never waivered in His love for people, even in the face of certain death. He took it like a man, He did not get angry, He did not strike out, He knew that something greater was at work. His pain ensured our Salvation...selfless to the core. He will always be the One you can count on!

For those of you feeling the sting and sadness of betrayal, a prayer:

Lord, I have been terribly hurt by someone I care for. Place your arms around me and provide me some comfort! Help me to control my reactions, and learn from my experience. Remind me that Jesus, a perfect person, was also betrayed, and knows my suffering. Please give me the patience to endure the test and become stronger because of it. Teach me how to let go of anger and build a foundation of honor again, with wisdom gained, and hope restored. AMEN

Psalm 118:8

Any Given Day: 31

Entitlement

We are entitled to basic human rights. Our country was founded on these and our constitution was put in place to protect them. Nowhere, however, does it say that we are entitled to excessive amounts of money or things. The assumption was that people would work hard, and share their wealth with those less fortunate. We would work together as a community to bring about prosperity, while preserving our rights to worship, carry arms, and go about our daily lives in the ways we felt were best for us and our families. We were expected to respect others for their differences. Somewhere we got lost...

Today, a sense of entitlement pervades all pockets of society. The lucky ones brag about how great their life is, how much money they have, or the important people that they know. Their money is spent on pursuing their own interest and they never give until it hurts, just enough to ease any sense of guilt or make them look good. These people seem happy, but it doesn't take long to realize that their relationships are shallow, and God is nowhere to be found in their hearts.

These are the folks who have all the potential in the world to make a difference. Their fancy cars can feed a family of 4 for a year, and their house has more unused rooms than the average apartment. Their worries are wrapped up in the stock market and politics and the daily stress of maintaining all their stuff. They feed off their own sense of entitlement. Their excessive lifestyle is an addiction like any other.

Many of us know, though, that with God at the center of our lives, we get what we need, when we need it. The bible is clear to be thankful for our daily bread and hand back 10 percent of what he bestows on us. Jesus lived a simple life and preached a simple message: love God, and love others as God loves you. The common folk, who struggle to make ends meet, and worry about which bill gets paid, are much closer to God's heart. A prayer for the rich and the poor.

Heavenly Father, You alone decide who is rich and who is poor. Anything anyone has is because You gave it to them. As quickly as it is given, it can be taken away. Help me to know how rich I am in Your love. Remind me that the earthly things don't matter, and guide me on how best to help others who are facing difficult times. Jesus was born poor, lived a simple life, with no material possessions, yet He had the power to change the calendar, and allowed us, through His sacrifice, to know You. Thank you for your blessings today! AMEN

Any Given Day: 30

Selfishness

There are those, who exist to serve their own self interests only. They wander through life meeting their own needs, bumping through life with no real sense of purpose. They pick up hobbies to keep them entertained, buy things with their extra money, spend their extra time in front of a TV or computer. Ironically, these are the folks with the most to give. They use up the valuable resources of this earth, and are charitable only when it makes them look good, or there is a tax deduction at the end of it. They lose patience for people who are tired from hard work, and look down on those who can't keep up. They have trouble relating to others who are hurting. They seem happy, but a closer look reveals shallow relationships, empty hearts, and a nagging sense of dissatisfaction that follows them wherever they go.

At the other extreme, there are those who can give of themselves tirelessly day in and day out. Some even give up everything, including their identity, and their health, to take care of others. They are run down and don't feel appreciated. They ignore their own problems to help others with theirs.

This isn't the way God intended a serving heart to look or feel, however. A servant's heart takes others into consideration while preserving what makes them unique and special. Taking care of themselves so that they may take care of others with energy and enthusiasm.

Striking a balance is difficult somedays but worth it, because anyone who has spent time giving instead of taking, knows that the reward is immediate and long lasting. Making a difference in a small way, can happen each day. Over time, lives change, people grow, and relationships with God and each other deepen. A prayer for those struggling to get past their own needs...

Lord, today may I go out of my way to assist someone who is struggling. Provide me with gentle reminders that the world isn't about me, but about all of us whom you love so deeply. Help me to find ways to use my time and energy in productive and positive ways. May Jesus, the king of all men, be my example of a humble and selfless heart. AMEN

Phillipians 2:5-8