the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Gal 5:22-23)

At the first Pentecost, the followers of Jesus were empowered by the Holy Spirit. I think that it’s an expression of our humanity when we expect the Holy Spirit will only manifest in power. This passage reminds us that we can be guided by the Holy Spirit in more gentle, relational ways – that may be more long-lasting. Each of the fruits of the Spirit influence others positively in an everyday way.

Exemplifying the fruits of the Spirit is something we can each cultivate. As we scan the list we see that those gifts are good for the person who possesses them but they are meant to be shared. The gifts of the Spirit build community so that we more closely resemble our triune God in whose image we are made – freely giving of ourselves to others.

Have a great week!

Patrick