True Sweetness: Faithfulness, Gentleness, & Self-Control
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! GALATIANS 5:22-23 NLT
“Apart from me you can do nothing.” These are Jesus’ words when he tells us in the book of John that He is the vine, and we are the branches. The fruit of the Spirit — all those wonderful virtues we aspire to — comes from Him (not us), but through us. We just have to be open to growing.
So how do we grow deeper in the fruit of the Spirit? We have to study God’s Word and know God on an even deeper level. We have to understand His love for us and find the faithful evidence of His work in our lives. And then we have to live our faith and shine the fruit of the Spirit bright in our lives. Keep reading for devotion and Scripture on the second three fruits of the Spirit listed in Scripture: faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Faithfulness: Under His Care
Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass. I THESSALONIANS 5:24 NASB1995
As her chickens scratched and pecked at the ground, she smiled. She knew they were happiest outside in the yard where they were free to fly and run and eat and roost—all the good habits of healthy chickens. She kept them well-watered and fed, protected by a large cage to keep out any predators. Having raised them from chicks, she watched them grow into the plump mother birds they were, each with her own peculiarities and personality. In the safety of their surroundings, the hens daily laid eggs that she enjoyed gathering and offering to family and friends for a farm-fresh breakfast.
As ordinary as the scene was, she couldn’t help but see some spiritual significance in the simplicity of farm life. Good owners take all the worry away by predicting their animals’ needs and providing accordingly so their furry or feathered friends can thrive. No fretting, complaining, or comparing required!
Jesus relays the same thought when He reminds His followers that God watches over all His creation so closely that He even notices when a single bird falls to the ground. And you are worth much more than the sparrow! (Luke 12:6-7). Unlike any other creature on earth, our heavenly Father created us to live and love and thrive on earth as His treasured children, expressing our individuality in full community with Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
We are sheltered under His watchful care and can be confident that nothing comes into our lives that He doesn’t allow for our own good. Therefore we are free to enjoy the beauty of life moment by moment. No fretting, complaining, or comparing required—our Savior and Lord has seen to our every need, providing exactly what we need to live well for Him right where we are. He is faithful to take care of us so that we can live authentic lives full of unique personality and purpose that make our Father smile with delight.
Father, You know all the days ordained for me before even one comes to be. I surrender my efforts to fix myself and my circumstances. I yield to Your care and trust You to grow me, and all You love, up into mature followers who reflect Your faithful love. In Jesus’s name.
Gentleness: Gentle Blooms
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. I PETER 3:3-4 NIV
When she had looked up different ministry opportunities at her church, the Flower Ministry caught her eye. She’d help other women use leftover flowers from the Sunday pulpit floral spray to fill small vases that they’d take to a nearby nursing home.
Over time, she came to know each of the elderly residents. She learned about their life stories and the people of their past, along with their quirks and interests. But one of the women stood out from the rest. Betty’s eyes lit up with joy every time the church volunteer walked in for a visit. With otherworldly acuity, the old woman always remembered her name and asked questions to keep current on what was happening in the young woman’s life. More than anything, Betty loved to talk about Jesus, sharing the stories of her past that proved God’s amazing faithfulness through her years. “Miss Betty,” the weekly visitor often commented, “you help me more than I help you! Your love for our Lord is more beautiful than the flowers I bring!”
God agrees! Gentle and quiet spirits reveal a deep trust in Jesus and a soul that is led by His Spirit. It’s not an outward appearance or temperament determined by genetics; it’s a result of day-by-day devotion to the Lord that tenderizes our hearts and teaches us to let Him lead. As our God-reliance grows, we stop needing to control our circumstances or speed through the moment to get to what we think might be better. Instead, we’re content in our present moment because that’s where we meet our Savior. In the present, we enter into each opportunity the Spirit gives to pour into others. Our communion with Christ shines through our souls, and the world witnesses the kind of beauty that blesses God.
Father, I’m daily bombarded with ways to achieve external beauty, but I want inner transformation instead. Please tenderize my heart to be soft and gentle in Your hands as You form Christ’s character inside of me. In Jesus’s name.
Self-Control: Game-Changer
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. II PETER 1:5-8 NIV
Her daughter was staring so intently at the screen, she didn’t notice her mom walk in the room and sit beside her on the sofa. The latest iteration of her favorite role-playing game had just released the day before, and the girl was already making significant progress. “Why don’t you open that chest?” her mom queried as she surveyed the enchanted castle. Moving deftly around it, her daughter’s avatar approached some innocent-looking flowerpots instead. Suddenly she began whacking them with her sword. “What on earth…?” the mom’s voice trailed off as she watched the pots eventually explode, leaving behind a shiny, golden key.
“Now I can unlock the chest,” her determined daughter explained. “Everything builds on itself, so you have to keep gathering treasures as you go, which leads to the next treasure.”
Similarly, in the Christian life, we’ve been given a mission. We are here on this earth to discover more about God and help the lost find Him too. Accepting Christ as our Savior isn’t the end goal—it’s just the beginning! Like walking through a portal, a new life focus begins once we belong to Jesus. As we go through life, God uses trials and troubles to teach us more about Him. Like the gamer daughter, we need to keep our eyes riveted on Him, ever watching for each little truth treasure He’s revealing as we trust Him through whatever circumstances we face. As we follow His lead, God shows us the keys in Scripture to unlocking more truth, growing stronger in faith, overcoming sin, and loving others deeply. Through Spirit-empowered self-control, we learn to wield each gift God gives in a way that grows us up in Christ and leads us to ultimate victory at our mission’s end. If we don’t want to waste our time here on earth, we need to stockpile the gems of God’s great character so that out of the overflow of our abundance we can seek out and share His goodness with others.
Lord, please help me add the qualities You value in my life so that I can effectively represent and serve You better. Please help me to stay focused and disciplined so that I finish well. In Jesus’s name.
This is an excerpt from True Sweetness: Growing in the Fruits of the Spirit Devotional from DaySpring.
