{"id":53978,"date":"2023-08-21T06:30:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-21T10:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nehemiahecommunity.com\/members\/?p=53978"},"modified":"2023-08-21T00:59:50","modified_gmt":"2023-08-21T04:59:50","slug":"the-fruit-of-the-spirit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nehemiahecommunity.com\/members\/devotionals\/the-fruit-of-the-spirit\/","title":{"rendered":"The Fruit of the Spirit","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL BY PATRICE TSAGUE<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you walking in the Spirit?
When squeezed by the pressures of life and business, what comes out of you?
At such times, do you exemplify the fruit of the Spirit, or the works of the flesh?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.<\/em> \u2013 Galatians 5<\/a>:22-23 (NKJV)<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Fruit of the Spirit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We are all familiar with the works of the flesh and their dangers. How do we avoid being overcome by the works of the flesh? Do we just try harder or do we go on a fast?\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than focusing on the flesh and struggling with it, the Apostle Paul gives us insight into how to overcome the flesh in Galatians 5:16<\/strong> when he says, \u201cI say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to walk in the Spirit, and how do we know when we are walking in the Spirit? The Holy Spirit always agrees with the Word of God. If you are walking in the Spirit, your mind and emotions will be submitted to both. <\/strong>This means that whatever you are going through, your actions and reactions will be consistent with the Word of God and the Holy Spirit\u2019s leading. When this is true in your life, you will exemplify the fruit of the Spirit at all times, especially during difficult times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the keys that will reveal whether or not you are walking in the Spirit is the way that you handle challenging circumstances. These are the times when you are squeezed by the pressures of life and business. When you squeeze an orange, unless it is rotten, fresh orange juice comes out. What would happen if you squeezed an orange and get lemon juice? You would know that either you have the wrong fruit or the fruit that you have is rotten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the pressures of life and business squeeze you, what comes out of you? <\/strong>How do you respond when your husband or wife disappoints you, when employees or vendors let you down, or when you face financial pressures or tight deadlines in your business?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During those tough and challenging times, do you exemplify the fruit of the Spirit or the works of the flesh? It is easy to walk in the Spirit during the good times, but the true test of whether we are walking according to the Spirit or the flesh comes when we are wronged and disappointed.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Galatians 5:22-23, <\/strong>the apostle Paul lists the fruit of the Spirit :<\/p>\n\n\n\n