October 16, 2026 -- Day Sixteen of Joy: Galatians 5:22-24

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Galatians 5:22-24 ESV
 
Many of you know that I volunteer at a drug and alcohol recovery centre for men. The guys spend 24/7 together for nine months to a year. You guessed it. That is a place of wild emotions, of tumult, and chaos. They are introduced to Jesus, many of them for the very first time. The fruit of the Spirit is emphasized. When one of men becomes a Christian, he is a new creation in Jesus Christ. His whole demeanor changes. The way he interacts with others changes. He is no longer a slave to sin but has been set free to serve Jesus. Love and joy are early evidence of that full life that is given to anyone who now is in Christ.
 
Of course, when you know someone very well (as do the men in that recovery centre) their stressors and sore points, triggers and temptations, it is easy to poke away at one another. You know exactly what will set someone off. Baiting the bear so to speak. When that happens, the men have an expression for that. The one doing the baiting is called a “fruit tester”. Yup. You read that right. If the one tested rises to the bait, the fruit of the Spirit in him has been tested…and proves it isn’t ripe yet.
 
The point is, circumstances, the people around us, the dashed expectations which are common to all people allow the fruit of the Spirit to shine through. Christians have a treasure house of joy within them. They know they are loved by God the Father. Christians have a peace that passes understanding, allowing them to withstand the hardest fruit-testing, because Jesus is the rock of their salvation. Joy, even in difficult circumstances, is not elusive, but the abiding theme of the heart fixed on Jesus.
 
Lord Jesus Christ, I want to be different. Let Your Spirit change me so that the fruit of the Spirit ripens and matures in me. Let my life, words and actions, bring honour and glory to my Father in heaven. Glorious Jesus, cause Your holy love and heavenly joy grow in me, and be very evident to all who meet me. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/y3gWwGDGgVA?si=UfuD_cNv66ck8lAr
 

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