Habits of The Mind
“By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.” - Galatians 5:22-23
Over the past few days we have talked about the fruits of the Spirit and how as a Christian, you should be like the tree that produces much fruit. But what exactly are these fruits? And what does it mean to have them within you, and to reveal them on a day-to day basis? Let’s start with the fruits that are habits of the mind.
The first three fruits mentioned; love, joy, and peace, are all fruits that are habits of our minds. What does this mean? These are qualities you should instill in your mind so they overflow into your daily life.
The first of these is love. First Corinthians 13:13 says, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” As a Christian, this should be at the foundation of our character. Christ calls us to love everyone. When you choose to love others, all the rest of these traits become easier. Choose to love, even when others make it difficult.
Next is joy. This is fruit often gets mistaken for happiness, which is a feeling that comes and goes. But true joy is not determined by the circumstances, but instead joy can be chosen. We can choose to have joy because we know who is the Author of our lives. We know who controls all things and all outcomes. Even when your situation does not seem ideal, you can still choose joy because you know who has the final say.
When you choose love and joy, peace becomes so much easier. Peace is another fruit that is not dependent on circumstances. You can access peace at all times because the One who controls your life has your best in mind. He is orchestrating all things for your good. This means regardless of if your circumstances are currently good or not, you can still have peace knowing God is working them for his good.
It is often said what you feel is directly related to your perspective. The best way to change your perspective is to make love, joy, and peace habits of your mind. When you choose to exercise love, regardless of whether others deserve it, joy no matter how your circumstances appear, and peace in every situation, your perspective will change. When you remember who is in control and who has the final say, you can practice these fruits in any circumstance, and that is the power of exercising these habits of your mind.
Over the past few days we have talked about the fruits of the Spirit and how as a Christian, you should be like the tree that produces much fruit. But what exactly are these fruits? And what does it mean to have them within you, and to reveal them on a day-to day basis? Let’s start with the fruits that are habits of the mind.
The first three fruits mentioned; love, joy, and peace, are all fruits that are habits of our minds. What does this mean? These are qualities you should instill in your mind so they overflow into your daily life.
The first of these is love. First Corinthians 13:13 says, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” As a Christian, this should be at the foundation of our character. Christ calls us to love everyone. When you choose to love others, all the rest of these traits become easier. Choose to love, even when others make it difficult.
Next is joy. This is fruit often gets mistaken for happiness, which is a feeling that comes and goes. But true joy is not determined by the circumstances, but instead joy can be chosen. We can choose to have joy because we know who is the Author of our lives. We know who controls all things and all outcomes. Even when your situation does not seem ideal, you can still choose joy because you know who has the final say.
When you choose love and joy, peace becomes so much easier. Peace is another fruit that is not dependent on circumstances. You can access peace at all times because the One who controls your life has your best in mind. He is orchestrating all things for your good. This means regardless of if your circumstances are currently good or not, you can still have peace knowing God is working them for his good.
It is often said what you feel is directly related to your perspective. The best way to change your perspective is to make love, joy, and peace habits of your mind. When you choose to exercise love, regardless of whether others deserve it, joy no matter how your circumstances appear, and peace in every situation, your perspective will change. When you remember who is in control and who has the final say, you can practice these fruits in any circumstance, and that is the power of exercising these habits of your mind.
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