Growing. Living and Active.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness,goodness,

faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Against such things there is no law."
Galatians 5:22-23

Don't miss that part..."of the Spirit".  Not through my own efforts.  Not through my hard work.  I am naturally disinclined to be most of these!  The Word isn't saying that I need to change myself, by myself to be what Christ planned for me.  It IS saying, however, that when I am connected to Him - the fruit of that relationship is - love, and all the rest draw from it.  My relationship with God is living and active.  It grows and develops in the changing seasons of my life.  And, through that, my character in Christ also grows and develops.  Sometimes I go in the wrong direction...and what do you think suffers first?