Are you lacking or in need of Love? Joy? Peace? Patience? Kindness? Goodness? Faithfulness? Gentleness? Self-control?
Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
I have been lacking fruit and trying to develop it. My biggest struggle is and has always been self-control.
Lately, I’ve been working on my anger, and the lusts of the flesh. It helps me to memorize scripture that pertains to the problem I’m trying to address. So that I can recall it in times of need or trouble.
This has helped, and I’ve had some minor successes using this method. But I have continued to fall short time and time again. Until the biggest breakthrough I’ve had came to me this week. I found it in the following verses:
John 15:4-5
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abides in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
These verses jumped off the page to me and gently slapped me upside the head giving me an oh, now I see moment. You see, I’ve been trying to make the changes to bear the fruits of the spirit in my own power.
Sure, I was seeking God’s word and applying it, that was good, it was a start. But I wasn’t inviting Jesus into it. The verse says, “Abide in ME, and I in YOU.” Followed by, “Apart from ME, YOU can do NOTHING.” Oh Lord, how I know that to be true…
The word Abide in this verse means; to dwell, remain in, or be united with.
Jesus’s promise here is that if you abide in him, he will abide in you. He is the vine, you are the branch, and with him, you can bear fruit.
So, as I was dealing with anger, and lusts of the flesh at work this week, I started inviting him in. Saying aloud or in my head, “Jesus, I abide in you, and you in me.” I’d repeat this over and over and I’d imagine Jesus’ dwelling with me in my work, in my anger and frustrations as they came about.
What happened next shocked me, the anger would fade and instead, I’d be filled with joy. It would just come bubbling up from inside of me, and the next thing I knew I was smiling and giggling even. (I know what you’re thinking, my co-workers probably think I’m crazy, but that’s okay.) With him as my vine, I’ll learn self-control eventually. LOL 😊
Then I started applying it to the lusts of the flesh. They would fade, and instead, I would feel love and peace. With him as my vine, and me as his branch, I was suddenly able to bear fruit!
I’ve continued to test it and apply it to any of the fruits of the spirit that I feel I am lacking at the moment, and it works every time. Sure, there are times I am still stubborn and try and do it on my own. Or make the mistake of seeking love, peace, joy, etc. from other places than him, but those are always fleeting. If I continue to remain in him and him and I, I fully believe the well will never run dry.
As a bonus, as I was repeating “Abide in me and me in you” over in over in my head this week a song started to come to mind. One I had heard before, but I didn’t know all the lyrics. So I looked it up.
The song is by the Turtles and is called “Happy Together” The lyrics start with:
“Imagine me and you, I do
I think about you day and night, it’s only right
To think about the girl you love and hold her tight
So happy together.”
I just change the lyrics to:
“Abide in me and me in you,
I think about you day and night, it’s only right
To think about the God you love and hold him tight
So happy together”
The rest of the Lyrics to the song fit perfectly. I happen to do this often with love songs, changing the boy or girl in the song to God/Jesus and God knows this, and once again he provided perfectly!
So, if you’re like me and have been struggling to bear fruit, I simply ask you to invite Jesus in to abide in you. Lean on his word and promises to fulfill them, he always shows up every time. This brings another song to mind, “Lean on Me”, but that’s a song for another time and another message.
I’ll leave you with one more verse before I go. If you’re reading this, it’s also a prayer for you!
Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Thank you, God, and in Jesus Christ’s name I pray, Amen.