People are curious. When people find out you are a Christian, they start to wonder what being a Christian really means. They watch you. They watch to see how you react to stressful situations. Do they see you swearing and losing your temper when things don’t go your way? What do you do when you get frustrated? Do you take a moment to pray, take a deep breath, and ask God for the solution? Whether you realize it or not, people around you are watching you.
Why else would we have all these mom shames and such on social media if people weren’t watching each other? The watching intensifies when they know you are a follower of Jesus. People wonder why we serve God before they themselves become followers of Jesus. They want to know if it is worth their time and effort to do the same. We, as Jesus followers, must show by example why they too need Jesus. We must be different. Otherwise, why should they ever give their lives to a God who does nothing to change a person for the better? I wouldn’t want to serve a God that doesn’t have the power to change me and make my life better.
Paul Gives a Great Example
In Philippians we see a great example of how hardship encouraged others to come to faith in Jesus. After telling others about the love of Jesus, Paul was put in jail. He did nothing wrong, other than make the powerful people angry. Yet in Philippians 1:14 (ESV) we read, “And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.” I like it even better in the Amplified version, “Because of my chains [seeing that I am doing well and that God is accomplishing great things], most of the brothers have renewed confidence in the Lord, and have far more courage to speak the word of God [concerning salvation] without fear [of the consequences, seeing that God can work His good in all circumstances].” Philippians 1:14 (AMP)
Although Paul was in great hardship, his reaction to this hardship caused others to speak the truth of God’s love with confidence and without fear. Wow! I’m not sure I could say the same about myself. This is something I am praying God develops in me more this coming year. I want to become a person who exhibits boldness and encourages others to boldness as a result.
Fruit of Walking in Sync with the Holy Spirit
We can see the fruit of a life filled with the Holy Spirit. In fact we can judge a lot about ourselves based on what fruit we display. Do we show fruit of contention, anger, fear, or impatience, or do we show fruit of agreement with what the Bible teaches, joy despite the circumstances, peace, and patience with everyone? Which type of fruit do you display most often? I pray it is the fruit that comes from being filled with the Holy Spirit!
Galatians 5:16-26 (ESV) “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Fruit of the Flesh Vs. Fruit of the Spirit
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”
I know I cannot ignore my time with Jesus and expect to walk in the fruits of the Spirit. In fact, I ask the Holy Spirit to fill me each day as part of my time with him. When I actively ask the Holy Spirit to fill me, he does, and I am able to be bold. I no longer cower in fear when I am asked to talk to someone who likely has a completely opposing view than me. I no longer am controlled by the fear of man. Check out my latest story of walking in boldness here.
How About You
What about you? Do you live a life filled with the power of the Holy Spirit? I encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit to fill you each day as you pray and read your Bible. I personally am participating in a reading plan, to go through the Bible in a year. I’ve done this before, and I don’t expect to actually finish in one year. Last time it took me about a year and a half to complete. Sometimes I like to listen to sermons for my Bible study time. Other times I get involved in studying a passage of scripture. It doesn’t matter if it takes you more than a year to read through the Bible. It only matters that you spend time daily with God, both reading the Bible and praying.
Remember when Jesus talked about food his disciples knew nothing about? His food was doing the will of the Father (John 4:32-34). Jesus taught us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:11). Notice how he emphasized “day” and “daily.” Hearing from the Lord through his word and from his Spirit through prayer is our daily bread, it’s sustenance for our spirits, transformative for our souls, uplifting for our bodies. As we come into agreement with his will and work it out, we are supernaturally sustained.
Walking with the Fruit of the Spirit
Then you will be able to walk out a life exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit for all to see. The fruit of the flesh will wither away and be replaced with the best fruit there is. You will be able to do exactly what Paul prayed for the Philippians when he was in jail all those years ago. “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” Philippians 1:9-11 (ESV)
Don’t you want to abound in more love with knowledge and all discernment? When we are filled with more love, knowledge, and discernment, we will easily be able to know what is excellent, and be pure and blameless before God. We can be those things right now. We don’t have to wait until death to be pure and blameless! That, my friend, is good news! Now go spend some time with God and be filled up with his Spirit. Be bold. Be fruitful in showing others the fruits of the Spirit. Go be an example to a world who is watching you. Show them how great life is with Jesus, so that, even when things are going wrong for you, it encourages them to come to Christ and boldly share him with everyone else around.
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