Monday #3 Devotion

Galatians 5:22-23--(22)But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, gentleness, faith, (23)Meekness, temperance; against
such there is no law.

There is a game that my children love to play. In it, you are given a number of fruit
to place on a tree. Then, you spin to find out how many you can "pick" and put into
your bucket. When you have picked all of your fruit, you are the winner.

The Fruit of the Spirit is quite similar. That fruit is resident already in your heart.
It was placed there when you entered into true fellowship with God through Jesus
your Savior. It was deposited as a gift when you became His child. Now, it is your job
to "pick" that fruit from the depths of your heart and let it flow into your life.

Love doesn't just happen. It is an act, not just an emotion. The same is true for joy,
peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, and self-control. You
have to "pick" or "choose" to let joy flow from you to your family. You must allow peace
to come to fruition in your heart and shine forth to your household. And so on, and so forth.

It is not something that will spontaneously erupt in your home. On the contrary, left to
itself, the atmosphere of your home will decay into strife, bitterness, weariness, greed,
and all manner of sin. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 22:15 that "foolishness is bound in
the heart of a child." It also tells us in Proverbs 29:15 that a "child left to themselves will
bring his mother to shame." These verses illustrate the unguided child, the undisciplined
child, the child who was not taught to allow the Fruit of the Spirit to ripen in their hearts
and minds and bear fruit in their actions, words, and deeds.

We, as Moms, have such a great opportunity each day to show our children what the effect
of Godly living. Our homes are to be a refuge for them, not a place where the attitudes
and emotions of the world confront them. Our homes should be one of a very few places
on the earth that our children should desire to run to run from those things that challenge righteousness.
And, a Mom who has demonstrated the Fruit of the Spirit is on course to help
her children have a place of refuge.

Mom should start her day with a journey to the orchard of the Spirit. There, she loads her
bushel full of the Fruit that the Spirit offers. Then, that fruit is enjoyed in her home as the
examples of it is evidences in Mom as she conducts her day. A Mom who picks the Fruit of
the Spirit and allows it to funnel through her to her household will fall into bed at night
fully satisfied that she has been a glory to her Father within her world today. She will have children who
seek her instead of the world. She will have a husband who runs home to her
loving arms because there is no other place where he is refreshed and refined. She will be
an oasis to all around her, watering their hearts and nourishing their spirits. And it all starts
with a choice.

Confession: I pick the Fruit of the Spirit for my life today. I pick love
for my family. I pick joy in my journey today. I pick peace for the
issues of life. I pick patience in every area. I pick gentleness toward
all men. I pick goodness from my hands to this earth. I pick faith as I
shine Jesus. And I pick meekness and self-control. I am fruitful today!