Writer's note: This is the introduction to a series about my personal spiritual growth and intentional cultivation of fruits of the spirit.
Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
Matthew 7:17-20
Have you ever met someone and immediately and innately known they're a believer? I've had a few instances in my life where this has happened and I've long wondered why this is.
Over the past few weeks, I've been digging into scripture about how we, as believers, are supposed to be set apart -- in the world but not of the world -- and teasing apart what exactly does that look like, particularly for me?
Without getting into the minutiae, this has been a struggle for me regarding the church post-election. A year later, I feel like I am just now getting to a place in my own hurt and healing where I can honestly ask myself this question and I keep coming back to the same scriptures, and the same ideas, each time.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."
Matthew 5:9
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
Galatians 5:22-23
"Do not be quick with your mouth,
do not be hasty in your heart
to utter anything before God.
God is in heaven
and you are on earth,
so let your words be few.
3
A dream comes when there are many cares,
and many words mark the speech of a fool."
Ecclesiastes 5:1-7
As I wrestle and read these words over and over, I see the themes emerging -- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control -- these are the prayer of my heart, how I long to set myself apart from the world.
Let these be the things on which my mind dwells.
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