Fruits
of the Spirit
It's
quiet. It's early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The
world
is still asleep. The day is coming.
In a few moments the day will arrive. It will roar down the track
with the
rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged
for the noise
of the day. The calm of the solitude will be replaced by the
pounding pace of
the human race. The refuge of the early morning will be invaded
by decisions
to be made and deadlines to be met.
For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day's demands.
It is now
that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I'm free to
choose. And so I choose.
I choose love...
No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I
choose
love. Today I will love God and what God loves.
I choose
joy...
I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse
the
temptation to be cynical...the tool of the lazy thinker. I will
refuse to see
people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will
refuse to
see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.
I choose peace...
I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.
I choose patience...
I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of
cursing the one
who takes my place, I'll invite him to do so. Rather than
complaining that
the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray.
Instead of
clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy
and courage.
I choose kindness...
I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich,
for they
are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has
treated me.
I choose
goodness...
I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will
be
overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will
accuse. I choose
goodness.
I choose faithfulness...
Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their
trust. My
associates will not question my word. My wife will not question
my love. And
my children will never fear that their father will not come home.
I choose gentleness...
Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my
voice, may it
be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer.
If I make a
demand, may it be only of myself.
I choose self-control...
I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will
soar.
I refuse to let what will rot rule the eternal. I choose
self-control.
I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my
faith.
I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by
Christ.
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and
self-control. To these I commit my day. If I
succeed, I will give thanks. If
I fail, I will seek His grace. And then when this day is done, I
will place
my head on my pillow and rest.
-Max Lucado
When God Whispers Your Name