I have always admired my friend Shayla for being so forgiving and slow to anger. She ambitiously searches for the very best in people. She responds in a gentle and meek manner at times where I would find every excuse to respond harsh. In the years I have known her, only once have I ever seen her outwardly angry. Though I know there were many other times.
One day I asked her how she does it. Her response convicted me. She simply said, "Haleigh, I have to intentionally choose to respond with anything other than my flesh." Every morning when she would wake, she would find the face of God and ask Him to refill her. She would ask Him to take out all the rotten fruit (anger, jealousy, pride, aggressive responses, defensiveness, lack of control, exc) and ask Him to replace it with the fruit of the spirit. "...love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control."
Now, you could say, "This is just the way I've always been. I'm just a little feisty." You could say, "Oh I was really hurt in the past. I have to guard myself." All very valid reasons and all deception that holds us back from becoming new creatures in Christ. There is no excuse for rotten fruit.
"She SEEKS wool and flax..."
Wool is a soft material and flax is a beautiful, gentle flower used to make breathable linens and food. Soft, gentle, breathable (meek). Sound familiar? Now, don't believe the lie that says, "So and so if naturally kind, gentle, soft or meek." These traits are Godly traits. But a Proverbial Woman of God "...SEEKS..." these traits.
Shayla possessed something I desired. But I had to be willing to seek them out and pay the cost of a little uncomfortable training to gain them. A P31 Woman is willing to pay the cost to cut out roots of rotten fruit in order to make room for sweet, soft, and gentle fruit that feeds others.
Identify where your responses have not been soft like wool or your attitude breathable or meek like linen when things don't go ask expected or the way you planned. Identify if the attitude in which you unintentionally seek has bruised others rather than feed them.
What excuses have you used to bear rotten fruit? How can you intentionally seek fruit of the spirit?
Prayer: God, forgive me if I have allowed rotten to become part of my idenity. Forgive me if the fruit I bear has hurt others. I'm asking you, knowing there is a cost, teaching me to bear fruit that feeds. And to intentionally seek soft, gentle responses. In Jesus name. Amen.
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