Today I am hosting "In Other Words Tuesday". This is the quote I chose for us to write about:
“The fruit of the Spirit is love.” (Galatians 5:22)
Love is a fruit growing within us from a supernatural source.
It’s not your love, yet it is,
since the Spirit works in you both to will and to do loving things that are on his mind.
You never hear of an apple tree struggling to produce its fruit.
As long as sap flows within the tree, apples will form and blossom.
And so it is with the Holy Spirit and love.
He is our life and bears the fruit – not us. That’s why he was sent to live in us.”
Love is a fruit growing within us from a supernatural source.
It’s not your love, yet it is,
since the Spirit works in you both to will and to do loving things that are on his mind.
You never hear of an apple tree struggling to produce its fruit.
As long as sap flows within the tree, apples will form and blossom.
And so it is with the Holy Spirit and love.
He is our life and bears the fruit – not us. That’s why he was sent to live in us.”
Spirit Rising: Tapping into the Power of the Holy Spirit
by Jim Cymbala
by Jim Cymbala
 |
| Photo Credit: Iris Nelson |
But God ...
God is love.
He loved us so much He sent Jesus to die for our sins.
I received that free gift of love for myself.
His Holy Spirit lives in me.
As I allow Him to have His way in me, I can't help but love others ...including the unloving.
But when I wander and go my own way, it's hard to truly love.
I get irritated and impatient with others.
I believe the key is to abide in Him.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5 NIV
I watch the orange trees outside.
- They are planted in soil.
- They receive water.
- They receive sun.
- They receive fertilizer.
The result:
- Amazing fruit
- Sweet to the taste
- Have my daily quiet time
- Spend time in His Word
- Pray
- Meditate on the Word
- Quiet myself so I can listen
Then as I go about my day, I'm already filled with His Spirit. His love can overflow from me to others. I listen to that still small voice. I don't miss those Divine appointments in my busyness. I don't do this perfectly by any means as I'm a work in progress. But by His grace ...I want to abide.
How about you? Is it evident to others that you are abiding in Him? Do others see the fruit of love in your life? Are you trying to do good things for God but not abiding?
Blessings and love,
Hi Debbie,
ReplyDeleteI want to abide in Him! Thank you for the reminder of how I can do that. I need to remember these 5 ways, especially on busy, hectic days.
Thank you for hosting this link up! It was fun to think about the quote in advance and then write about it today.
In Christ,
Laura
Hi Debbie,
ReplyDeleteLoved what you had to say about love. You know, it is true, we can attempt to love on our own terms, but so often it is flawed. It can feel good for a time, maybe even a season, but that love that is generated in Christ is so special, so genuine. it is good to be reminded of God's special love.
Also just mentioning......AM and I went shopping today. We are making curtains for her kitchen and we'll be working on a "Fruit of the Spirit" theme. Found fabric with little cherries on it for the windows..perfect for AM.
Isn’t it so easy to love those who are lovable? We can all do that, but sometimes is sure is hard is to love the unlovable! However, I believe that sometimes God places these individuals in our lives as an opportunity to trust Him and go against our natural response to push them away and instead show those hard to love people how much we love them, and how much God loves them! :)
ReplyDeleteBlessings and hugs,
Denise
Great post Debbie!
Good morning! This was good, and a great reminder. PERFECT(agape) love is what we find ONLY in Him...and without that kind of love in us, we will never love others as He wants us to...Have a wonderful day! HUGS
ReplyDeleteBeautiful my friend.
ReplyDeleteI like how you listed the steps in getting a fruit tree to grow and then listed what we need to do as well in order to produce properly. Very good.
ReplyDeleteThank you for reminding us that we are truly nothing without Him!!! May our roots go down even deeper into His soil of love! God bless.
ReplyDeletei hate to think what might be apparent to anyone
ReplyDeleteabout me. shudder. however, my faith teaches
me to walk by faith not by sight. may His sweetness
be my fruit.
Thank you so much for hosting IOW this week. This is a great quote. Loved how you illustrated this and shared . . . and the orange trees! I don't know if I've ever actually seen an orange tree but we do have apple trees around us. :)
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
Thank you for this post Debbie. As I begin to understand just what Love is i'm amazed that it supercedes my understanding. Love is the very foundation of salvation (John 3:16) and it hasnt changed. 1 John 4:7-12-Love is of God and love is God. If we say he know God then it should be characterised by our ability to love. God can dwells in us and his love is perfected when we love one another. God bless you for your words of encouragement. www.daghewardmills.org
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