Category: Devotionals

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22–23, NASB)

Paul ends his list of the fruit of the Spirit with self-control, but the fact that it is the last does not by any means make it the least. Self-control is the fruit that holds all of the other fruit together. For example, if we love without restraint, it becomes passion. If we have patience without balance, it becomes apathy. Self-control provides the balance, restraint, and moderation needed by the other fruit. Self-control should be seen in our lives as we work toward curbing the desires of the flesh, directing our energy wisely as we strive to live by the Spirit.

Scripture is very clear about the importance of self-control. Proverbs 29:11 tells us that self-control is the mark of a person who is wise and not foolish. Self-control is an important aspect of Christian character (Titus 2:11-12). Self-control affects the whole person, spiritually, emotionally, and physically (1 Corinthians 9:26-27). Self-control is most important when dealing with temptation. Joseph showed self-control when tempted by the wife of Potiphar (Genesis 39:7-12). David showed self-control when he came upon Saul sleeping in the cave at En Gedi. He had the perfect opportunity to kill Saul, but chose not to (1 Samuel 24:1-7).

Self-control is a discipline that requires the help of the Holy Spirit. In order for us as believers to produce the fruit of self-control in our lives, we must be led by the Spirit. As believers, we belong to Jesus Christ and must crucify the desires and passions of the flesh (Galatians 5:24). If we are to live as Spirit-filled believers in Christ, we must always keep in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:25). As we walk with the Spirit, He will help to produce not only self-control, but love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness in our lives.

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! (Galatians 5:22-23, NLT)

Gentleness is an attribute that we see in God. When we speak of the gentleness of God, it refers to the compassionate way in which He deals with wayward souls (Isaiah 54:8) and those who are frail and weak (Isaiah 40:11). God is the supreme example of gentleness. Just as the Father is gentle, so is His Son, Jesus (Matthew 11:29). The apostle Paul recognized the meekness and gentleness of Jesus, and in defending his ministry to the church in Corinth, Paul appealed to them by Christ’s meekness and gentleness (2 Corinthians 10:1).

Gentleness is the eighth fruit of the Spirit listed by Paul in Galatians 5:22-23. As believers, if we are to be like Christ, we must clothe ourselves with gentleness (Colossians 3:12). So, how does gentleness show itself in the life of a believer? How do we clothe ourselves with gentleness? It starts by the way in which we deal with each other. In Ephesians 4:2, Paul tells us that we should be “completely humble and gentle” as we bear with each other in love. But it doesn’t stop there. The gentleness that we show to friends, to family, to fellow believers, is the same gentleness that we must show to enemies, or to those who oppose our faith (2 Timothy 2:25).

As we defend our faith to those who don’t believe, gentleness becomes even more important. The apostle Peter stressed the importance of honoring Christ by defending our faith, by always being prepared to have an answer for those who challenge it. But our defense, the answer that we give to explain the hope that we have in Christ, must always be seasoned with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15). Gentleness is a sign of the way in which the wisdom that we receive from God is at work in our lives (James 3:13).

Finally, gentleness is the quality that we must use when dealing with a fellow believer who has been caught in some transgression. None of us is above temptation, and we must always guard our own hearts. But when a brother or sister in Christ has given in to temptation, we should be ready to bring him or her to restoration. And how should we do this? With gentleness (Galatians 6:1). With the love and compassion that Christ shows us.


Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.


The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23, ESV)

Through a wonderful way with words and verse and memorable illustrations, children’s author, Dr. Seuss has given generations of children stories that not only entertain but also teach important lessons. One such lesson is the importance of faithfulness, which is delivered in the words of his book, Horton Hatches the Egg.

Horton is an elephant who gets tricked into sitting on the egg of a bird named Mayzie while she takes what turns out to be a permanent vacation to Palm Beach. Now, Horton is an elephant who means what he says. He is 100% faithful. So, despite the fact that he endures many hardships such as sitting through wind, rain, snow, ridicule from friends, and even capture, Horton remains true to his word. Showing great faithfulness, he stays right there on the egg until it finally hatches.

Faithfulness is the seventh fruit of the Spirit. But what is faithfulness? What does it mean? Faithfulness means remaining loyal to someone or something despite the circumstance in which you may find yourself. In marriage, it means remaining faithful to your marriage and loyal to your spouse, in good times and in bad. When in comes to our relationship with God, it means staying true to our beliefs even when, like Horton, we are faced with hardships. It means being faithful to His Word and following His ways even in the face of persecution.

Faithfulness is not a one-time act. It is an ongoing process, an attitude that should be characteristic of the life of everyone who claims to have faith in God. God is faithful. Even when His people are not faithful to Him, He remains faithful to them. The faithlessness of His people does not nullify the faithfulness of God (Romans 3:3). God’s faithfulness, His steadfast love for all of us, is something that endures forever (Psalm 136). As believers, we are to strive to be like Jesus. Through His faithfulness to the Father (Hebrews 3:2), a faithfulness that endured suffering and even death, Jesus has given us an example of faithfulness to follow.

Faithfulness is important, but it does not come easy. We need to rely on the help of the Holy Spirit to allow faithfulness to fully develop in our lives. But Scripture tells us that those who remain faithful will be blessed (Proverbs 28:20). In Horton Hatches the Egg, Horton the elephant is rewarded for his faithfulness. When the egg finally hatches, what comes out of the egg is not just a bird but an elephant-bird and Horton and the baby are returned to the jungle where they live together happily. When we remain faithful, our faithfulness will also be rewarded by our Father in heaven (Matthew 25:21, 23).

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22–23, NASB)

In 1886, Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson published a novella that dealt with the idea that personalities affect people and their ability to choose between good and evil. The novella, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, tells the story of a doctor who experiments with a serum that transforms his personality. The novella had such a great impact that the term “Jekyll and Hyde” has become a part of the English language, referring to a person who has a two-sided personality, one side being good while the other is evil.

In our lives, we may often find ourselves having to make a choice between that which is good and that which is evil. This is a choice that has been put before people ever since Adam and Eve chose to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Because of our fallen human nature, it is not a choice that we are able to make on our own. We need the help of the Holy Spirit, and this is why the sixth fruit of the Spirit is goodness. In Galatians 5:22, the Greek word that is translated as “goodness” is agathōsynē. This word comes from the Greek word agathos, meaning “good.” It refers to the quality of a person who is not just good but also exhibits a moral excellence, sowing goodness where others may sow evil.

Goodness in people is not a quality that is passive. Rather, it is active, making a deliberate choice of right over wrong, of good over evil. It requires an active decision to resist evil, to resist that which is immoral, and choose good, following that which is moral. Scripture tells us that it is important for those who serve God, those who choose to follow His ways, to actively seek good over evil and to hate evil while loving good (Amos 5:14-15). As with all of the other fruit, goodness is also one of the attributes of God. His goodness is praised in many psalms, such as Psalm 34, which tells us to “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” (Psalm 34:8, NASB).

Goodness in a believer is not based on outward behavior. Even an evil person may sometimes seem to be good outwardly. Goodness is a matter of the heart. Scripture says that a person who is evil is evil within (Genesis 6:5; Mark 7:14-23). When it comes to goodness, in a person who truly is good, the outward good behavior reflects a good heart (Matthew 12:33-35). As we follow Christ and walk with the Spirit, our hearts will produce the goodness that all believers should desire.

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! (Galatians 5:22-23, NLT)

In 1970, country artist Glen Campbell released an album titled Try a Little Kindness, which included a song with the same title. The song spoke of not just the need for kindness, but also the benefit that the kindness of individuals can have on the world. The lyrics suggest that we all try a little kindness and equate that show of kindness with shining your light so that all around you can see it. Kindness is an important attribute for all of us to have.

Kindness is the fifth fruit of the Spirit. The dictionary definition of kindness is the quality or the state of being kind. It refers to treating people with respect, friendliness, generosity, and consideration. Seems simple doesn’t it? But it may not be as easy as it seems. Kindness is an attribute of God, but it is not something that is consistently found in people. Part of the reason for this is that what we refer to as kindness is not clearly understood. When we speak of the English word “kindness,” we can also mean goodness, mercy, love, compassion, and tenderness. Even in the Greek language of the New Testament, there are many words that are translated as kindness.

In Galatians 5:22, the Greek word translated as “kindness” in the list of the fruit of the Spirit is chrēstotēs, a word that can mean kindness or goodness. (Note: The next fruit of the Spirit is goodness, which we will see, comes from a different Greek word). This Greek word can describe gentleness, goodness, uprightness, generosity, and graciousness. All of these words, like kindness, can be used in describing the character of God. Scripture teaches us that God is kind to all of His creation (Psalm 145:9). It is the kindness of God that leads people to repentance (Romans 2:4) and ultimately to the salvation that comes through Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:7-8).

Scripture also teaches us that kindness is necessary in the life of all people, and especially in the life of believers. We are taught that we should love kindness (Micah 6:8). Jesus even taught that we should be kind to our enemies, loving them and doing good to them. Why? Because God is kind not just to those who are good, but also to those who are ungrateful and evil (Luke 6:35-36). God’s Word also says that kindness is a characteristic of true love (1 Corinthians 13:4).

Kindness is a necessary virtue for a believer to have. We are told in Scripture that, as those chosen by God, as believers, we are to put on several virtues, one of which is kindness (Colossians 3:12). As believers, we are to imitate Christ, to imitate God. Since God is kind, we must be kind. But kindness does not come naturally to our human nature. It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives that kindness can be a consistent attribute of our lives. When we walk in step with the Spirit, He will enable us to produce the fruit of kindness each and every day. And, as Glen Campbell sang, we will shine our light for all to see, a light that reflects the light of Christ.



Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23, ESV)

There is an expression in Latin that says, “maxima enim, patientia virtus,” which means “patience is the greatest virtue.” Patience is most certainly a virtue, but it is one that is difficult to attain. Human nature being what it is, many of us find it nearly impossible to be patient, especially in the face of adversity, or in the face of persecution. But patience is important in the life of a follower of Christ. This is why Paul counts patience as a fruit of the Spirit. Exhibiting patience is next to impossible for us to do on our own. The help of the Holy Spirit is needed in order for the fruit, patience to be produced in us.

Why is patience so important for a believer? Patience is an attribute of God. Despite the rebellion of the Israelites, God did not abandon them in the wilderness but led them through the wilderness with a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. He did this because He is a God who forgives, a God who is gracious and merciful, and a God who is slow to anger (Nehemiah 9:16-19). God was patient with His people then and still is today. It is because of God’s kindness, tolerance, and patience with us that we are led to repentance, which leads to eternal life (Romans 2:4).

Since patience is an attribute of God, then we as followers of Christ should live lives characterized by patience. In his letter to the Colossians, Paul makes it clear that patience is important to a believer because he prays that the Colossians (and all of us) will be strengthened through God’s power to demonstrate endurance and patience (Colossians 1:11). And in his first letter to the church in Thessalonica, Paul exhorts believers to be patient with everyone (1 Thessalonians 5:14). Patience is also an attribute of the first fruit of the Spirit, love (1 Corinthians 13:4).

So, what exactly is the fruit called patience? In Galatians 5:22, the Greek word translated as patience is makrothymia. which literally means “long-suffering.” It refers to the ability, even when being provoked, not to lose one’s temper. It means staying calm and not becoming irritated, angry, or vengeful, even when dealing with persecution or adversity at the hands of people or circumstances. This would also mean having the ability to bear pain and suffering without complaint. Of course, the greatest example we have of this is in Jesus Christ Himself, who endured pain, suffering, humiliation, and even death without complaint (Isaiah 53:7).

Patience does not come naturally to us. But when we follow Christ and allow the Holy Spirit to work in and through us, it is a fruit that can and will be produced in our lives.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23, ESV)

For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. (Romans 8:6, ESV)

As a teenager in the late 60s and early 70s, the word “peace” was something I often heard. Young people wore peace symbols around their necks and gave each other the peace sign (two fingers forming the letter “V”). Peace meant an end to war, living together in harmony. Songs from that era, such as “Get Together,” “Give Peace a Chance,” and “Peace Train” promoted the idea of peace in the world. Peace is something that, even now, so many people strive for.

God’s Word speaks often about peace. In fact, in the King James Version of the Bible, the word “peace” appears 429 times! In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word most often translated as “peace” is shalom. Shalom can mean peace, prosperity, success, friendliness, and may even be used as a greeting. It may be applied to the state of one particular person or to the relationships between people, nations, and even between God and man. In the New Testament, the Greek word most often translated as peace is eirēnē. As with the Hebrew word shalom, this word can have various connotations, such as a greeting, the end of hostilities between people or nations, or the presence of tranquility.

Scripture makes it clear that peace is important to all, but especially to those who follow Christ. It is through Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for us that we have peace with God (Ephesians 2:13-16). Peace is so important to the life of a follower of Christ that Paul has listed it as the third fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). In his letter to the church in Rome, Paul also stressed the importance of peace to the life of the believer, pointing out that while setting one’s mind on things of the flesh is death, setting one’s mind on the Spirit is life and peace (Romans 8:6).

The peace that we receive through Christ is a gift. That gift is reconciliation with God, which is made available to us through Christ. And this is why peace is so important to the life of a believer. It is why we must seek to cultivate this fruit of the Spirit in our lives. As a fruit of the Spirit, peace should be our goal as we relate to those around us. Romans 12:18 tells us that, as far as it depends on each one of us, we should seek to live peaceably with others. Hebrews 12:14 tells us that we should strive for peace not just with some people, but with everyone. As a fruit of the Spirit, peace should also be what identifies us as children of God. Jesus said that those who are peacemakers are blessed because they will be called sons of God (Matthew 5:9).

Our fallen human nature does not lend itself to the peace that we should seek to produce in our lives. But, God has given us His Holy Spirit to help us to develop this fruit in our lives. As we allow Him to work in us, as we set our minds not on the flesh but on the Spirit, He will help us to cultivate peace in our lives.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! (Galatians 5:22-23, NLT)

The second fruit that the Holy Spirit produces in our lives is joy. Joy is a condition that we all experience as human beings. Joy can be a feeling. It comes naturally as a result of favorable circumstances, such as the birth of a child. When the angel appeared to Zechariah to announce that Elizabeth would give birth, he said that they, as well as many others, would experience joy at the birth of the child (Luke 1:13-15). Joy as a feeling is not something that we can just command to happen. In Psalm 137:3, the psalmist points to this fact when he says that the Israelites could not just sing a song of joy at the command of their captors.

But the joy that Paul is speaking of in Galatians 5:22 is not joy as a feeling. It is, rather, joy as an action. It is the type of joy that Scripture tells us we should choose to have at all times (Philippians 4:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:16). It is the joy that is experienced regardless of our circumstances, even when those circumstances are trials and tribulations (James 1:2). Jesus tells us that when we face trials or persecution because of our belief in Him, we are blessed. As a result of our trials, the reward that we receive in heaven is a great reward, and so we should feel joy (Matthew 5:11-12).

The type of joy that is a fruit of the Spirit is the joy that Jesus experienced. Despite the fact that He was to face suffering and death on a cross, Jesus felt joy. His joy came as a result of His obedience to the will of the Father, from knowing that His own suffering would result in our salvation (Hebrews 12:2). We can experience that same kind of joy, a joy in adverse circumstances. Jesus has promised us that kind of joy when we abide in Him (John 15:7-11). When we choose to follow Christ, we also allow the Holy Spirit to dwell in us, and He will produce in us that kind of joy.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

During the years that I was involved in community theatre, I performed in many musicals. I could act pretty well and had a good singing voice, but when it came to dancing, I pretty much had two left feet. My brain understood the steps, but my feet just didn’t work along with my brain. I guess you could say that my feet and my brain were opposed to each other. My brain wanted to do the dance, but my feet would just do their own thing. There is a similar battle when it comes to the flesh and the Spirit. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul tells us that the desires of the flesh are in opposition to those of the Spirit and vice versa. And this opposition keeps us from doing the things that we want to do (Galatians 5:17). But Paul also tells us that if we walk by the Spirit, we will not gratify the desires of the flesh (Galatians 5:16).

Paul tells us that the works of the flesh are evident in things such as sexual immorality, divisions, envy, and drunkenness. He warns that living a life in which we continue giving in to these things keeps us from inheriting the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21). But there is a way by which we can steer clear of the desires of the flesh and keep in step with the Spirit. That way is by working to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. Galatians 5:22-23 tells us that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. While the works of the flesh go against God’s law, there is no law against the fruit of the Spirit. Over the next several days, we will take a look each fruit, beginning today with love.

When Paul listed the names of the fruit of the Spirit, he began with love. This is not by chance. In order to cultivate the other fruit in our lives, we must begin with love. Without love, it would be impossible to have joy and peace in our lives. Without love in our lives, patience could not exist, and we certainly would not be able to show kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, or self-control. Love must come before we cultivate the other fruit. Why is love so important? Let’s begin with God. Scripture tells us that God IS love. It is central to His very being. Love is the reason that God created us. It is the reason that He gave His one and only Son to die so that we could have eternal life. Without love in our lives, we cannot truly know God or love Him (1 John 4:8).

But our love cannot begin and end with God. We must also love one another. If we say that we love God but we hate a brother or sister, then we are not speaking the truth (1 John 4:20). We cannot truly love God without loving each other. Jesus taught that the greatest commandment is to love God (Matthew 22:37-38). And the second greatest commandment is to love our neighbor just as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:39). When we truly love each other, when we love our neighbor as ourselves, we will be able to avoid the works of the flesh. Love trumps things such as division, envy, rivalry, and fits of anger. If we truly love one another, we will steer clear of the things that go against the law of God, such as covetousness, murder, stealing, and adultery. The whole of God’s law and the words of the prophets all rest on the greatest commandments – to love God and to love each other (Matthew 22:40)

Love helps us to keep in step with the Spirit. We should desire all of the fruit of the Spirit but the first one that we need to cultivate in our lives is love.

In the second and third chapters of the book of Revelation, Jesus gave messages through John to the seven churches. In these messages, the churches were given warnings, admonitions, and commendations. The church in Ephesus was admonished over the fact that it had abandoned the love that they once had. The church of Smyrna was warned that it would be tested and would face tribulation. The church in Pergamum was chastised because of false teachings. The church in Thyatira was admonished over the practice of idolatry and sexual immorality. The church in Sardis was warned that it had become a dead church. The church in Philadelphia was commended for keeping God’s Word and not denying the name of Jesus even through trials. And the church in Laodicea was warned that it had become a lukewarm church.

These warnings, admonitions, and commendations are words that we, as the body of Christ, must heed. The consequences of some of the things that Jesus found wrong with these churches are grave consequences. Jesus gave these messages to these churches so that they would turn from the things that they were doing wrong. But, Jesus also gave words of encouragement at the end of each of these messages. And those words were not meant just for those seven first-century churches. They were meant for all believers. Each of these words of encouragement is addressed to “he who has an ear.” That would mean all of us! And each message makes a promise to those who conquer, those who endure through following Christ and achieve victory over sin and tribulation.

As a result of the endurance and victory in Christ, those who conquer are promised two blessings. The first blessing is that of eternal life with Jesus as part of God’s family. We see this promise in the messages to the churches in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Sardis, and Philadelphia. Those who conquer will eat of the tree of life (Revelation 2:7) the fruit of which gives eternal life. They will not face the second spiritual death (Revelation 2:11), which is eternal separation from God. Those who conquer will be given the hidden manna, which is heavenly nourishment, and will receive a white stone, an “invitation” to the Lamb’s feast (Revelation 2:17). The names of those who conquer will be written in the book of life and never removed (Revelation 3:5). And those who conquer will become pillars in the temple of God, they will enjoy permanent residence with God (Revelation 3:12).

The second blessing for those who conquer is that they will rule with Jesus in the new kingdom, which He will establish on earth. They will rule, not as members of a worldly administration, but as members of the administration of Jesus, King of kings and Lord of lords. This promise is seen in the messages to the churches of Thyatira and Laodicea. To those who conquer and continue His works until the end, Jesus will give authority over the nations of the world (Revelation 2:26). And, as members of the administration of Jesus, those who conquer will be given the right to sit with Jesus on His throne, just as He was victorious and sat with the Father on His throne.

These are wonderful promises for all who conquer. To receive these promises we need to listen to the Spirit, to seek the understanding of what He says (Revelation 3:22), and to respond by following His Word.