Reading your Bible for Today March 22

March 22: Galatians 5:22-23

KJV Key Verse: Galatians 5:22
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Devotion:
I guess most of us will go through our lives wanting to be popular. I know that I did when I was at school and even after school for quite a while. As a young Christian I still wanted to be popular but was torn between that and seeing the effects of what people gave in to just to be popular. I would see how people broke rules, gave in to temptations, did things which seemed out of character, and generally tried to be the centre of attention. I certainly went through some of those things to try and make myself more popular too. Why do we do it?

Well, I guess the main reasons are jealousy and pride. Yep, those two again. Jealousy of others having all the fun and having all the people gathered around them and some sort of pride that would make us want to show off to others to make them think more of us in some way. Both self-centred. Both to do with “me” rather than anything else. We will always fight a battle between our earthly desires and what Christ would have us to do. Our earthly desires come from that sin nature inside of us. Those earthly desires drive us towards thinking that we need to be the centre of attention, thinking that in order to have a full life, we have to have everyone around us.

Satan knows our weaknesses and he will continue to play on them every day. He knows we have pride and a desire to be popular. He knows those desires are easily provoked and that we will give in to temptations just as Eve did at the beginning of time. This is why we need to depend on God’s Word for enlightenment. We need to depend on the Holy Spirit for guidance. We need to depend on God for everything rather than thinking we have control over anything. As soon as we start to think that, we give in to the feelings that provoke our sin nature.

Instead, read these two verses today and think about their words, about how we should be if only we would follow Christ.

Points to Ponder:
How many times do you forgive friends?

Christ will continue to forgive as long as you repent.