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Every week this month I am going to list 3 things for which I am thankful. I am encouraging all of you to do the same within your families.
Galatians 5:22-23
Over the last couple weeks we have been discussing the biblical “Fruits of the Spirit” in Genekidz. Last week we touched on peace. I wanted to share with you our definition of peace and why it is such an important spiritual fruit.
Peace is knowing that no matter what happens in life God will still be there. It is taking to heart Jeremiah 29:11-13 and knowing that sometimes you will be thrown curve balls- and that all the curve balls have a purpose for God’s kingdom. Peace is understanding that God never leaves, never naps, never forgets and never ignores what is happening in your life.
Peace is a spiritual fruit, because it is something that is important in your walk and relationship with God. Others may have moments of peace- but Christians are able to rest in the face that they serve an amazing, loving God. When you know this type of peace you are able to let go and follow where God is leading you.
Galatians 5:22-23
“22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
What does it mean to have self control? Self control is a spiritual gift. It is something that is learned through a relationship with Jesus. More important, self control is a way to show our love. When we are in control of our emotions, actions and words we are better able to show those around us love.
Does this mean you can never be emotional or angry? No! Everyone deals with sadness or anger (along with countless other emotions). Having self control means that you don’t allow these feelings to control you and tell you what to do!
This goes for temptation to sin as well. Sin looks really fun and exciting most of the time. When we are able to say no and walk away it shows the world who we worship. Not only that, it also shows Jesus how much you love Him.
Proverbs 30:5
“Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield unto them that puts their trust in Him.”
Do you know what flawless means? People use the word flawless when they are talking about lots of things. The word flawless means “perfect or without mistakes”.
The Bible is flawless. It is perfect. There is nothing in it that is untrue.
The Bible is also a shelter. It is a safe place to go, it is something we can stand behind to keep us safe, just like a shield.
What does this mean? It means that the Bible is what we hide behind. It is what we go to for answers, and we can trust that those answers are true.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
We all think we know what we need, exactly when we need it. We need a new DS right now, we need the coolest jeans yesterday, we need for our parents to forget about our chores today.
As much as we may think we know when we need something, God knows our needs even better. In this Bible passage God talks about there being a time for everything…even the bad stuff that happens.
It can be very hard to wait for God to decided that it is time for something to happen. It may make us anxious or nervous. Unlike us, God can see everything that is going to happen in the future. This makes Him much better at making decisions for our lives.
So when we ask for something and we get stuck waiting on God, just remember this: “There is a time for everything”. Wait patiently.
“Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still; teach the righteous and they will add to their learning”
Proverbs 9:9
We see adults working out all the time. At the park, on television, in the gyms. While most adults work out to keep their bodies healthy and fit, children also need to be working out too!
We have a very important “muscle” that we need to workout each day. Let’s call this muscle our “spiritual muscle”. This is the muscle we use to decide if something is okay to do. It is the muscle we use to smile at someone when we really want to yell at them. This muscle is a very important muscle. It helps us use our bodies and words like Jesus would.
How do we work this muscle out? By reading the Bible daily. Studying the things that Jesus told us to do. When we spend time studying the word, our “spiritual muscle” is strengthened!/
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