“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness temperance.” (Galatians 5:22)
If it doesn’t bring you peace and joy and all that other
good stuff it is not of the Spirit or of God. Before this Paul list the works
of the flesh: hatred, wrath, strife, along with adultery, fornication, idolatry
and etc. And yet we do not need to be involved in idolatry or adultery or etc.
to feel the effects of strife, hatred, wrath and etc. We are in the world and
those things exist around us. We could not be tested and tried if they weren’t.
So what can we do about that? Reading the scriptures helps.
I used to write quotes and put them on the refrigerator where I would see them
when trouble hit. Keeping a prayer in your heart is another thing that helps.
What I mean by that is that after you get up off your knees from praying in the
morning you continue to pray in your heart.
Does strife seep in despite my armor? Sure does. Sometimes
worse than others, but we work moment to moment for that peace and joy and to
feel the Spirit.
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