The Gift

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. 

January 2014, I began to pray about what one word or phrase God had for me in the year of 2014. As I prayed, the word that God spoke to me was JOY. Joy, God? What does that mean? I thought about my life as it pertained to joy and I felt like I was lacking joy, zeal for life. The next few months passed and I ended up sitting at a table in Jason's Deli (of all places) across from my dear friend sharing with her the frustration I was experiencing with the lack of joy I was feeling in my life and the unsuccessful job I was doing at "finding joy". I poured out my confusion as she quietly listened. After I was finished, she so lovingly said, "Bri, I don't think joy is something you have to find or strive for, the Holy Spirit has given it to you as a gift." Right there, it hit me. I discovered the lesson that God had in mind to teach me all along. Joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness gentleness and self-control...they are all fruits of the Spirit. They are not fruits of Brianna (substitute your name). They are not characteristics to be obtained or searched for, they are offered, given to me, living in me as I operate out of the Spirit that is living inside me. I was so freed by this revelation because it was then that I stopped striving for joy and I was able to accept the gift of the Spirit that is living in me, with me at all times. I think it is so common to feel like we need to search for and find the things that we lack, but some things can simply be found by accepting the gifts that God has offered us through His Spirit living inside of us. Have you been feeling a lack of joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control? Maybe it's time you stopped searching and accepted the gift of the Spirit living in you.