The Fruit of the Spirit

It has been awhile since I have posted. I have the best intentions about my blog but I never seem to get to the things on the lower half of my list. Our Sunday School class is going through an awesome book called "A Woman's Walk With God" by Elizabeth George. It is a study about the fruit of the Spirit. The main thing that she stresses is that this fruit is not something that we are to work really hard to produce in our life. It is the natural result when we abide in the vine. When we are walking closely with God and filled with His Spirit, He will grow these amazing character traits in our lives. I would love to live a life characterized by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and self-control. But, I can't. The only thing I can do is obey God as He prepares me to be a conduit for His love, His joy, His peace, His patience, His kindness, His goodness, and His self-control. Our purpose in life is to enjoy God and glorify Him. When our life displays the fruit of the Spirit, it brings glory to God not to us. When we love the people in our life that are unloveable, He is glorified. When we have joy despite trials and difficulties in our life. it brings Him glory. The world is not accustomed to seeing patience and kindness. I am so excited about studying this scripture and how God is going to teach me how to surrender my will to His and to allow Him to grow His fruit in my life. I am also excited to watch what God is going to do in the lives of the ladies in my class and one special young lady that I am meeting with and doing the same study. It is only the second week that she and I have met together and I already see God working in her life. She was baptized yesterday on her birthday. What an amazing birthday!