The young mother looks down at her precious child, who she just delivered, after 23 hours of hard labor. The sweet young boy, wrapped in blankets of blue, looks up at his mom with one eye open, and one eye shut, mesmerized by the sound of her voice.
What a wonder gift from God. The precious wee one, a clean slate, ready to grow and mature, and take on a life of his own as time passes by. For better or for worse, mistakes and successes alike will shape who he is and what he will become.
More often than not we can tell who a person is by the character traits he or she displays. Life molds us by what we've been through, and who and what we've come into contact with.
Our Christian walk is the same way.
When we first become believers in Christ, we are just like new born babes. We have so much to learn and so much growth that needs to take place if we are to show that we are indeed followers of Christ.
One of the main ways that the world can tell whether we are followers of Christ is, by the fruits that are produced in our lives.
In God's Word He states that the fruits of the Spirit are as follows,
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."
- Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)
I have felt the Lord challenging me and pushing me lately to grow in Him. To let other's see His work alive and well in me. However that takes time, faith and trust, to put aside all selfish ambitions, and to put His will and ways first.
I want others to see that there is something different about me, I want them to see that I've spent time in the Father's presence and because of that, love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control are evident in my spirit. When we release all control, and die to self, a beautiful thing happens......we become who Christ meant us to be. That blank slate that we started with becomes a picture of Christ showing love to all we come into contact with. No, Christ does not expect perfection from us, however He does expect us to keep moving forward, to keep trying in His strength so that His light may shine bright for all the world to see.
Won't you join me friends, join me as we wake up daily seeking His presence, spending time with the Lord of all, as we face each day with a fresh and renewed energy, so that we may exhibit the fruits of the Spirit and find freedom in being who we were really meant to be.
It is time for the Woman to Woman Word Filled Wednesday Link Up. We desire to connect women of God with one another and encourage each other in Christ. So grab a cup of coffee or glass of sweet tea, sit back and visit a few blogs. Be encouraged and share your own stories in their comments.
Use hashtag #w2wwordfilledwednesday
Three rules to this link up:
1. Must be a {Christian} faith post.
2. Link back to W2W somewhere in your post. (Feel free to use our button if you want!)
3. Visit and comment on at least one other blog in the link up.
Yes, I am joining you, Shari. I want more of Him to be seen in me in the days ahead. Thank you for pushing me to seek Him and a more fruitful life. Blessings!
ReplyDeleteI'm in that "clean slate" myself and it has been a challenging yet beautiful journey!
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