In today's devotional, we're going to explore how we can bear the life-giving, world-changing

fruit of the Holy Spirit. Your life is meant to be marked by love, joy, and peace. And plants don't

bear fruit by trying harder, but by simply receiving abundantly

whatever they need to bear fruit. May you experience the richness of God's presence,

the water of his peace, and the warmth of his love today, as we seek to allow God to bear his

fruit in our lives.

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, and 23.

The Fruit of the Spirit passage in Galatians 5, 22, and 23 gives me tremendous hope for my own life.

Scripture says, but the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,

faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, against such things there is no law.

When I read that list, I receive a vision of who I long to be.

I long to be a person full of love, joy, and peace.

I long to have patience, kindness, and goodness.

I long to be marked by faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Who wouldn't?

I see within those incredible characteristics the marks of a fully abundant life.

I see Jesus.

At the same time, I see myself in the light of those incredible fruits of the Spirit. I see all

the ways in which my life doesn't line up with what the Holy Spirit desires to birth in me. How can we, in all

our sin and brokenness, live a life marked by these characteristics? How can we, in all our sin and brokenness, live a life marked by these characteristics?

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