Sunday, July 20, 2014

By: Rebecca Landry

 

Embrace Your Opportunities for Growth 

 

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

  

 

The other day my husband started a conversation with "You know, I was thinking about Disney princesses..." I'm not always the best listener but when I heard this I immediately stopped what I was doing to hear what was coming after that! 

He continued talking about how it seems that every little girl has a dream of being one of these characters but how NONE of these characters have had easy, pleasant lives. These young ladies have had to live alone locked in towers, had people try to kill them, been forced to be slaves...you get the point. Yet, the part that sticks out to us is the happy princess riding off into the sunset with her prince. Fiction or not, "happy endings" never come without first enduring and overcoming trials.

I thought about the things that I admire in people. The trait I most desire is patience. There are so many times when I've just thought. "IF ONLY I had that much patience, I'd be so much better off!" But wishing for patience while running around doing what I please isn't going to magically grant me patience. The Bible says we can SEE a heart changed by God by a person's actions. Matthew 7:16 says "You will recognize them by their fruits....A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. "

I can't live my life ignoring God and being disobedient and still have good fruit. I can't expect to be loving, kind and good without walking close with my Savior, allowing Him to change my heart. And just like these cartoon princesses had to endure hardships to find happiness, we too may go through storms to grow "fruit." Someone who is very compassionate may have dealt with immense loss. Someone who is gentle may have been treated harshly for years.

I challenge you to assess your own "fruits" and ask God to intervene where you feel that you are lacking.

Dear Lord, Help me to be obedient. Change my heart. Enable me to see that everything you bring me through can be turned into something positive in my life.

I thank You, my Jesus, for dying for me. I believe that You are Lord and that God raised You from the grave so that I can have eternal life.

Reflection: Are you recognizing trials as opportunities for growth or just wanting to fast forward to your happy ending?