So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. I Corinthians 15:58 NLT

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 Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth, he is telling them to stand strong in their faith in God and Jesus. He is encouraging them to work at being strong and being like Jesus.

When we look at the world we live in today, it is not always an easy place. People are sick and hurting, there are wars in other parts of the world, you have to work hard for good grades, making new friends can be difficult. But we have to remember our faith, our trust in God and Jesus and stand strong in what we should do and how we should treat people.

Today we are going to look at the Fruits of the Spirit as our guide for standing strong. When we belong to God through Jesus, His spirit lives in us, the Holy Spirit. And the Spirit helps us to stand strong. These are the fruits we are to “pick” as we interact with others.

Love – loving others by seeing them as God’s creations and beloved by God.

Joy – sharing your joy with others by being happy in the Lord.

Peace – being peaceful and calm as you listen to and encourage others.

Patience – being patient, waiting for others.

Kindness – showing kindness by being nice to others.

Goodness – helping and doing good things for others.

Faithfulness – trusting God first instead of ourselves.

Gentleness – speaking pleasantly and not being rude or hurtful.

Self-control – controling our anger so that we don’t hurt others with our words or actions.

This week, stand strong in your faith. Show love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control all the people you meet. Tell your parents about your “fruitfulness” toward others! And don’t forget to practice your spiritual fruits with your family and friends, too!

Blessings and fruitfulness as you keep standing strong!