Like A Newborn Baby

Therefore putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.

1 Peter 2:1-3

If you feel hate or malice, if you have a bent to deceit, or if you recognize hypocrisy in your life, give it up.

God is kind to us, and we should be kind to our fellow human beings. Our goal is to grow in the love of God and in knowledge of His ways and be reinvented as one who not only follows God, but strives to be godly.

Because God is kind to us, we are kind to others.

Amen.

 

The Fruits of the Spirit Are Good For You

 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

Galatians 5:25

Can you picture a world where there is no road rage, no yelling at store cashiers, and no arguing about tooth paste tube lids? Every day we are faced with petty annoyances, and every day we pop off at people because we think it will make things better. And, what is the result? We are angry, they are angry, feelings are hurt, and in the end all we have done is make stuff worse.

The fruits of the Holy Spirit seem simplistic but they are packed full of life changing, life improving characteristics. When we have the fruits of the Spirit we are less belligerent and more in control of our actions which translates into healthier personal relationships with others.

Seek the fruits of the Spirit.

No Condemnation

 

Who will bring charges against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather He who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.

Romans 8:33-34

There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. Accepting Jesus as our Lord, Master and Savior washes us clean of all our sins. We need not spend our lives defending ourselves against our past sins, because we are forgiven.

Likewise, we are to view other Christians without condemnation because Jesus died once for all, including those whom we would like to judge as unworthy. We need to be mindful that new Christians are new and may take a while to sort those things out in their lives which do not measure up to God’s word. Rather than judge, it is better that we rejoice with them in their salvation and pray with and for them.

Do Good Anyway

 

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Ephesians 2:10

As Christians we do good works because we have this irresistible urge to make the world a better place for everyone. We may be thanked and we may not; it really doesn’t matter. We do what we do, because this is what God made us for.

Mother Teresa said, “The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow. Do good anyway.”

Every Inch

 

Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. Indeed the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.

Luke 12:6-7

God loves us. We are the apple of His eye. All through the scriptures God again and again speaks of His love for us. So valuable are we that He has numbered the hairs on our heads.

How much does God love us? God loves every inch of us.

Not A Rocket Scientist

 

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

James 1:5

Did you ever notice that some of the most unlikely people seem to consistently make good decisions? How can that be?

I think this scripture answers that question. We do not have to be rocket scientists to make wise decisions. Wisdom is the ability to understand and evaluate the options and act in accordance with the best one. The best one may not be our favorite one, but the best one will produce good results, and isn’t that what we want in life?

God did not create us to stumble through life. He created us to be victorious and that is why when we ask He will give us wisdom.

Worthy Of The Calling

Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

Ephesians 4:1-6