The Fruits of The Spirit by Max Lucado

It’s quiet. It’s early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is still asleep. The day is coming.

In a few moments the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of the solitude will be replaced by the pounding pace of the human race. The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met.

For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day’s demands. It is now that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I’m free to choose. And so I choose.

I choose love…No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness, I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.

I choose joy…I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical…the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God, I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I choose peace…I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I choose patience…I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I’ll invite him to do so. Rather than complaining that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I choose kindness…I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.

I choose goodness…I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse. I choose goodness.

I choose faithfulness…Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their father will not come home.

I choose gentleness…Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gently. If I raise my voice may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of me. I choose self-control…I am a spiritual being.

After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self-control.

Love, joy, peace, patience kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace. And then when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest. “As long as I am in the world. I am the light of the world” – John 9:5

 

The Holy Bible

 

The Holy Bible is the Word of God and the revelation that Jesus is Lord.

God spoke to His children through 66 books, 1,189 chapters and 31,102 verses. By this means, He imparted His will, blessings, favours, and promises on His people. Most importantly, He shared the knowledge of the spiritual laws and principles that rule and govern His Kingdom.

With 5 billion copies sold worldwide, the Holy Bible is the best-selling book in history. Though written centuries ago, it still holds truths and wisdom that billion of Christians follow and rely on for guidance in their daily lives. 

Do we still need to read it today? Absolutely. How else would we know Our Father's will and purpose for our lives? How would we learn to recognise His voice? How would we recognise false doctrine and fake preaching that abound in the churches nowadays?

The Bible is the compass that guides, leads and protects God's children in all their endeavours, it's the GPS that keeps us from going astray, it's the reassurance that we are and we stay unto the right path.

And apart from all those precious teachings, it's a wonderful storyteller and cautionary tale of the lives, the loves, the triumphs and the failures of the mighty men and women of God whose lives were full of His presence.

Yours in Him