Good or Bad?

"But the fruit of the Spirit is charity, joy, and peace, patience, understanding of others, kindness and fidelity, gentleness and self-control." - Galatians 5:22-23

So many times in life we have to evaluate things and figure out if they're good for us or not, or even worthwhile or not. Sometimes I wish God would just give me a vivid dream in which He tells me exactly what to do so I don't have to figure things out. These fruits of the Holy Sprit are what I call the litmus test for getting our answers. I know someone who's been in a relationship for a while now and I know for a fact that her boyfriend isn't good for her because of the "fruits" of that relationship. I see the relationship breaking down her mental, emotional, and even physical state. I see her family at war with her. When things come from God and are good for us, they bring peace. They build us up and make us transparent people with nothing to hide. Why? Because God wants to better us and bring good things to our lives, so anything that comes from Him, gives us the fruits of the Spirit - peace, patience, fidelity, kindness, etc. There is nothing to hide or conceal. But where there are contant arguments, resentment, hate, jealousy, selfishness, shouting, bitterness, this does not come from God. In fact, the Spirit of God leaves from where this lack of harmony exists. We all need to examine our lives and the people and things in them. Is there something or someone that is bringing you down, causing division and stirring up hate and jealousy? This does not come from God and you need to pray for God to free you from that situation as soon as possible. Nothing good comes from this. And if you see good in your life and feel peace from decisions you have made, God is blessing you for following His will.

Today's Prayer:
Lord God, when I lack discernment, please step in and show me where the fruits of the Spirit are. I want to follow You, especially when things are not clear. Help me to see and put Your will into practice. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Clay

"God pays no attention to the status of a person." - Galatians 2:6

When God calls you to serve Him, nothing else matters except the fact that He has looked at you with a purpose. He is the Almighty and can do with you as He pleases regardless of who you are in life and what condition you're in. Whether you are a janitor or Bill Gates, God can transform you into anything He desires if you let Him. When Jeremiah was called, he was a child of about 15 and God wanted him to preach to a whole nation. Moses was only a sheep herder who stuttered and God chose him to free the Israelites from slavery out of Egypt. Yet God was also with David, King of Israel and made him powerful. From the smallest to the most powerful, God can make wonders from meekness. In the same way, whether you are a righteous person that doesn't know the meaning of sin, or if you have long stopped looking for God because your sins are so great, God can totally take hold of you and make you clean. God only looks at an open heart to do His work, nothing else matters when He wants to do something great.

Today's Prayer:
Lord God, thank You for not caring about who I am but instead looking at what You can make me in Your Name. Let me be clay that You can mold for the glory of Your kingdom. In Your Name we pray, Amen.