Category: purpose in life

But the fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace, forbearance, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control.
Against such things
there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23 NIV

Sometimes we misunderstand “fruit of the Spirit” because we say “fruits of the Spirit.” This difference seems like such a small thing, but, unfortunately, this small thing can lead us to a dangerously false conclusion. The fruit of the Spirit involves all nine of these qualities. We can’t excuse a lack of growth in one area or another as simply not having all the fruits of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is working to create the character of Jesus in us (2 Corinthians 3:18; see also Galatians 4:19). He wants to see us growing in each area; we should not excuse ourselves from any one of these qualities of Jesus. I don’t know about you, but there are several areas in which I need to grow — but I believe the Spirit is making progress in them. Let’s keep encouraging each other to let the Spirit lead us to become more and more like Jesus in every way!

O precious Father, God Most High,
thank you for your patience,
grace, and forgiveness.
I want the Holy Spirit
to lead me and empower me
to grow in every way,
but especially so that I can be
more and more like Jesus in love,
joy, peace, forbearance,
kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness,
and self-control.
Thank you for hearing my prayer
offered in Jesus’ name.
Amen.

And do not bring sorrow
to God’s Holy Spirit
by the way you live.
Remember,
he has identified you as his own,
guaranteeing that you will be
saved on the day of redemption.
Ephesians 4:30 NLT

Some other translations say “do not grieve the Holy Spirit.” Two truths scream to be heard. First, the way we live matters deeply to the Spirit! Second, we can actually oppose and wound the Spirit of God who lives in us. As Galatians 5:13-21 reminds us, feeding the fleshly, sinful side of ourselves puts us at war with the Spirit of God. Things like telling lies to each other, acting out our anger, stealing, sharing unwholesome talk among ourselves, living with rage and brawling, and slander are all activities that bring the Holy Spirit sorrow (Ephesians 4:25-32). Living under the influence of the Spirit empowers us to go beyond these bad qualities as we are conformed to be more and more like Jesus  2 Corinthians 3:18 and Galatians 5:22-26).

Father God,
I confess that I sometimes
ignore the impulse of the
Holy Spirit inside of me
and act in ways that are
inconsistent and hurtful to you.
I want to be like Jesus —
more and more under the
influence and control
of your Holy Spirit.
Please open my eyes to your will,
your presence, and your character
as the Spirit leads me.
In Jesus’ name, I pray.
Amen.

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. — Colossians 4:5-6

Jesus warned us that we would have to answer to God for every idle word we share with others (Matthew 12:36-37). In our time when social media echoes with mean-spirited, ugly, and divisive words, we must hear the Lord’s warning about choosing our words carefully. Paul challenged us to be even more vigilant about what we say and how we say it. The apostle emphasized how significant our influence is on those who don’t know Christ. We want to seize every opportunity to open the hearts of unbelievers to Jesus. When we are around those who are not Christians, we must show kindness, demonstrate care, and exercise control in the way we use our speech. The eternal destiny of those around may be resting on our conversations with them. Let’s season our speech with care. Let’s take advantage of every opportunity we have to open the hearts of others to grace of Jesus!

Holy and Righteous God, I know we break your heart when we, your people, wound and drive unbelievers away with thoughtless and insensitive talk and unkind posts on social media. Please help me, O God, as I seek to display a winsome attitude with all people, but especially toward those who do not yet know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Use my life and my words to open people’s hearts to Jesus. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.
– 1 Peter 1:13

The reward of delayed gratification! If there were ever a verse that did NOT match the whims of our “modern” society, this would have to be it! Prepare… be self-controlled… focus your hopes on the future… none of those is an advertising slogan, but they all are the sustaining truths of the great souls who have gone before us!

Eternal God, please help me have the patience and faithfulness to let you fully form in me the character and the wisdom that my world so much lacks and I so much need. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.   – Galatians 5:22-23 NIV

Sometimes we misunderstand “fruit of the Spirit” because we say “fruits of the Spirit.” This difference seems like such a small thing, but, unfortunately, this small thing can lead us to a dangerously false conclusion. The fruit of the Spirit involves all nine of these qualities. We can’t excuse a lack of growth in one area or another as simply not having all the fruits of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is working to create the character of Jesus in us (2 Corinthians 3:18; see also Galatians 4:19). He wants to see us growing in each area; we should not excuse ourselves from any one of these qualities of Jesus. I don’t know about you, but there are several areas in which I need to grow — but I believe the Spirit is making progress in them. Let’s keep encouraging each other to let the Spirit lead us to become more and more like Jesus in every way!

Precious Father, God Most High, thank you for your patience, grace, and forgiveness. I want the Holy Spirit to lead me and empower me to grow in every way, but especially so that I can be more and more like Jesus in love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Thank you for hearing my prayer offered in Jesus’ name. Amen.

For the foolishness of God
is wiser than man’s wisdom,
and the weakness of God
is stronger than man’s strength.
1 Corinthians 1:25 (NIV)

God’s ultimate “foolishness” is his willingness to use the cross to bring others to him. At first glance, the cross is a hideous and horrible tool. This whole plan does not make sense to us. In our human wisdom, we could never visualize using a man crucified as criminal scum to capture the hearts of the world. But God does. The cross transcends cultural boundaries, overcomes language barriers, and reaches across racial differences. The cross is God’s demonstration of foolishness and weakness, and through it he conquers death and brings our heart to him. The weakest part of God is immeasurably and infinitely stronger than all of mankind combined.

On this day, Father,
I am powerfully reminded
of your incredible sacrifice
at Calvary with Jesus.
Words cannot express
how powerfully they have
touched me with your love
and filled me with the
assurance of your grace.
Thank you!
I am utterly amazed
that you would love me so.
In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

 

“Here is my servant,
whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will bring justice
to the nations.”
Isaiah 42:1

The last part of Isaiah contains what are often called the Servant Songs. Jesus claims several of these songs for his self-identity. The early church claimed several others, quoting them to define Jesus’ ministry and understanding them as prophecies of his coming. Not only were these words of prophecy inspired by God’s Spirit, but the Spirit also empowered Jesus as God’s servant to bring justice and display God’s mercy. The work of Jesus is rooted in the work of God’s Spirit in prophecy that foretells his coming, in his conception, at his baptism, at the start of his ministry, in the words he spoke, in the joy he experienced, through the power that raised him from the dead, and the gift he poured out when we came to him in conversion. The ministry of Jesus is so tied to Jesus and his work for us, that Jesus calls the Holy Spirit “another comforter,” like Jesus himself that Jesus would send when he returned to the Father. The work of Jesus and the Holy Spirit are joined inextricably in God’s dance of grace that brings us life, hope, and justice!

O Father,
how can I ever fully grasp
the gift of the Spirit
dwelling in me?
I realize that the Spirit
is a bond that I share
with Jesus himself,
the power of the Lord’s
presence in my life.
Thank you for this grace, Father,
thank you for this gift, Lord Jesus,
and thank you for
your abiding presence, O Holy Spirit.
In Jesus’ name I thank you!
Amen.

… While we wait for the blessed hope —
the glorious appearing of our
great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,
who gave himself for us
to redeem us from all wickedness
and to purify for himself
a people that are his very own,
eager to do what is good.
Titus 2:13-14 NIV

Some of the most basic and forward looking statements about Jesus are made in 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus. These letters are devoted to help pastor and mature churches in difficult places. They are incredibly practical, but also are rooted in the work of Jesus, his divinity, and his faithfulness. We are waiting for the Faithful One! We trust that he will come for us because of what he sacrificed to redeem us. While we wait, we honor his mission by being a people eager to do what is good, showing in our lives that he is our Lord.

“Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied.
“But I say to all of you:
In the future you will see
the Son of Man
sitting at the right hand
of the Mighty One and
coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Matthew 26:64 NIV

O God,
I find myself waiting for Jesus.
Because he loves me,
I know my life has direction
and meaning even
on those days that are long,
hard, and seemingly fruitless.
Fire my heart to wait longingly
for Jesus’ glorious appearing
and stir my desires
to only want
what is good and holy.
I want to see you!
But, dear Lord,
I also long to be like you!
In the glorious name of Jesus I pray.
Amen.