\u201cBut the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law<\/em>.\u201d<\/span> Galatians 5:22-23<\/span><\/h3>\nWhen a lawyer asked Jesus which commandment was the greatest, He said,<\/p>\n
\n\u201cYou shall love the Lord your God with all you heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind,\u201d and \u201cthe second is like it, \u2018You shall love your neighbor as yourself<\/em>\u2019\u201d (Matthew. 22:37, 39<\/strong><\/span>).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\nWhat an overwhelming assignment!<\/p>\n
In our own strength, none of us can live up to this obligation, but the Lord has provided a way for Christians to do the impossible. The indwelling Holy Spirit works to produce His fruit in us, and first on the list is love (Galatians 5:22<\/strong><\/span><\/a>). In fact, the other eight qualities are really just descriptions of its expression.<\/p>\nWhenever we demonstrate kindness, patience, or gentleness,<\/strong> we see the Lord\u2019s love at work through us, especially when the other person has been unkind and doesn\u2019t deserve such pleasant treatment. This fruit is not produced by trying harder to muster good will toward someone who is irritating or hard to get along with. Instead, think of the process more like sap running through a branch on a grape-vine. The branch doesn\u2019t make grapes; the sap does. In the same way, the Spirit flows through us, producing God\u2019s love in us, so that we can pass it on to Him and others.<\/p>\nAgape love is the reason we are able to care for someone who mistreats us\u2014it\u2019s God\u2019s doing, not ours. Even the adoration we offer the Lord is not something that we can produce in our own heart apart from His assistance. Though the command to love is enormous, God\u2019s grace makes it possible.<\/p>\n
By Dr. Charles Stanley<\/a>
Used by permission<\/p>\n\nFURTHER READING<\/span><\/h3>\n\u2022 Love\u00a0Them Anyway<\/a> \u2013<\/strong> by Karen Huffaker<\/p>\n\u2022 Getting Life Back on Track<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0by Marvin Kehler<\/p>\n\u2022 A\u00a0Love\u00a0That Never Fails<\/a> <\/strong>\u2013 by Max Lucado<\/p>\nRECEIVE These Devotionals Daily by email: <\/strong>\u00a0FOLLOW THIS Link to Subscribe<\/a><\/p>\nFollow Us On:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0Twitter\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Instagram\u00a0<\/a> \u2022\u00a0Pinterest<\/a><\/p>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cYou shall love the Lord your God with all you heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind,\u201d and \u201cthe second is like it, \u2018You shall love your neighbor as yourself<\/em>\u2019\u201d (Matthew. 22:37, 39<\/strong><\/span>).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n What an overwhelming assignment!<\/p>\n In our own strength, none of us can live up to this obligation, but the Lord has provided a way for Christians to do the impossible. The indwelling Holy Spirit works to produce His fruit in us, and first on the list is love (Galatians 5:22<\/strong><\/span><\/a>). In fact, the other eight qualities are really just descriptions of its expression.<\/p>\n Whenever we demonstrate kindness, patience, or gentleness,<\/strong> we see the Lord\u2019s love at work through us, especially when the other person has been unkind and doesn\u2019t deserve such pleasant treatment. This fruit is not produced by trying harder to muster good will toward someone who is irritating or hard to get along with. Instead, think of the process more like sap running through a branch on a grape-vine. The branch doesn\u2019t make grapes; the sap does. In the same way, the Spirit flows through us, producing God\u2019s love in us, so that we can pass it on to Him and others.<\/p>\n Agape love is the reason we are able to care for someone who mistreats us\u2014it\u2019s God\u2019s doing, not ours. Even the adoration we offer the Lord is not something that we can produce in our own heart apart from His assistance. Though the command to love is enormous, God\u2019s grace makes it possible.<\/p>\n By Dr. Charles Stanley<\/a> \u2022 Love\u00a0Them Anyway<\/a> \u2013<\/strong> by Karen Huffaker<\/p>\n \u2022 Getting Life Back on Track<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0by Marvin Kehler<\/p>\n \u2022 A\u00a0Love\u00a0That Never Fails<\/a> <\/strong>\u2013 by Max Lucado<\/p>\n RECEIVE These Devotionals Daily by email: <\/strong>\u00a0FOLLOW THIS Link to Subscribe<\/a><\/p>\n Follow Us On:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0Twitter\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Instagram\u00a0<\/a> \u2022\u00a0Pinterest<\/a><\/p>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n
Used by permission<\/p>\n\nFURTHER READING<\/span><\/h3>\n