LET'S GET REAL: The Fruits of the Spirit {Free Mini-Workbooks}

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

In my personal devotions I have been going through many scriptures but this one really stood out to me. As Christians we are to produce these fruits in our lives. As we read the Bible and pray, God changes us. He helps us to develop these godly character qualities. He sanctifies us.

Let's take a look at each of these traits.

Love- there are two types of love mentioned in the Bible. The first Greek word for love is agapao which means to love dearly and the second word is phileo that means to be fond of. When we love someone we want to meet their basic needs and show them God's love as we serve them.
Joy- means to brighten up or to make glad. God give us joy even when we are not happy we can have the joy of the Lord because of what He has given to us through salvation.
Peace- means to be tranquil or to feel secure. Only God can give us true peace. Even when things around us are chaotic, He will give us peace.
Patience- is accepting tribulations with a good attitude knowing that these hardships will help develop good character in us if we allow it to.
Kindness- is treating others with the same compassion that God bestows on us. God is good and he loves us even when we don't deserve it. We need to show this same loving kindness to others.
Goodness- is living a life that is pleasing to God. Doing what God has told us to do in His Word.
Faithfulness- we must have an inward certainty and be confident that God's will is best for us. We must rely on Him and trust in Him.
Gentleness- is being there for someone and supporting them. We want to encourage others to live their lives for Christ in any way we can. We must show we care for others.
Self-Control- another word for self-control is temperance which means to restraining one's self. We must manage our thoughts, actions, and emotions with the help of the Holy Spirit. Our flesh may cry out, but it will be worth it in the end.

I think what we forget sometimes is that we reap what we sow. If we are constantly sowing seeds in our lives that do not help us progress in exhibiting the Fruits of the Spirit, then we will not be able to transform our thinking and actions. We won't become more Christ like. No one will see that Light of Christ in us. What we watch on TV, listen to on the radio, or read can have a huge affect on us. We don't even realize it. We start thinking and speaking like those things we are allowing in our lives. We are becoming conformed to this world instead of being transformed by God. These earthly things influence us little by little until it just becomes a part of us. We need to recognize this and put a stop to it.

But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. ~ 1 Peter 2:9

I think we need to revise what we tolerate in our lives, and bring our thoughts and actions into agreement with the Word of God. We can't live for Christ while being like the world. We have to be set apart. We need to be in prayer, on a daily basis, asking for God to help us change. Yes, that means we may get some weird looks and people may talk behind our backs because we are different, but we are told in God's Word that this is okay because If God is for us, who can ever be against us? ~Romans 8:31b

I want to teach my children the Fruits of the Spirit so they will know what the Holy Spirit is developing in them as they follow Christ. I have created a little workbook for us to use and I wanted to share it with you as well. I also have 9 wonderful verses to memorize to go along with the Fruits of the Spirit Workbook. To download and print these for your home use, please just click on the links below the images.