Galatians 5:22-24 (NRSV UE)
The Fruit of the Spirit
22 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. 24 And those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Be Fruit-Filled!
The fruit of the Spirit is marvelous. We have so many treasures deep within us because of the Holy Spirit. There is nothing in this world that can steal our fruit. We will enjoy love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
We have this fruit because we accepted Christ Jesus as Savior and Lord. When we submitted ourselves to Christ Jesus we crucified the desires of the flesh. Self-indulgence, hate, misery, harshness, stinginess, and debauchery are not meant to be resident in us.
Practice the good fruit. Find ways to express love, joy, and peace but especially joy. Many are claiming happiness not understanding that joy is the true gift. Joy happens no matter what our circumstances are.
Let us pray for a higher expression of the fruit of the Spirit. Pray for those who are struggling to find joy. Ask God to point us toward the gratefulness that brings great joy.
Pray for those who try to dampen joy. Let the light of joy shine so brightly that enemies of God and of us will know that they cannot put out the flame of joy. Pray that we can rejoice in all things. Ask God to wrap us and our neighbors in joy.
Let the joy that we have not stop wne Christmas is over. Let joy continue when the trees are taken down, the lights packed back up, and the other decorations taken down and stored. Let us pray for joy that the world cannot take away. Let us pray.

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