Devotional:
If there’s one word that’s thrown around a lot, love would be it. From a very young age, we are cultivated to believe that affection displays love. However, the older we get, we understand that love is about action/choice and not affection. Each day, we have to choose to love those who would probably never love us. Doesn’t the Word say, above all, love one another deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins? (1 Peter 4:8)
As I explored the depths of 1 Corinthians 13, I began to notice this direct relationship between love and the fruits of the Spirit. The things that are love, are also the fruits of the Spirit. Which means, that the root to developing and growing the fruits of the Spirit begins with love. Don’t believe me? Look below.
A Comparison of Love & The Fruits of the Spirit (Table):
Fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) | What Love Is (1 Corinthians 13:4-7) |
Love | “Love never fails” |
Joy | “Love is kind” |
Peace | “Love hopes all things”, “Love endures all things” |
Patience | “Love is long-suffering” |
Kindness | “Love is kind” |
Goodness | “Love never fails”, ”Love is kind”, |
Faithfulness | “Love endures all things”, “Love never fails”, “Love rejoices in the truth” |
Gentleness | “Love is kind” |
Self-Control | “Love bears all things” |
Do you see the similarities? When you are full of the Love of God, you shall bare evidence of the fruit(s) of the Spirit.
Scripture(s) Meditation:
“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
I Corinthians 13:4-7 NKJV
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”
Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV
Reflection Question(s): We invite you to discuss below.
What areas of your life are full of God’s love? Which fruits of the Spirit do you possess? Which has been the hardest to grow?
Sun'Ray💕
The only things I can think of that’s full of God’s love rn: my heart and being (I’m sure there’s so much more but anyways)…
-And to answer the second question: I believe I have all of the fruits of the Spirit😃YAY, but MAN for me, they have all been hard to grow, sheesh🫠 But still I feel deeeeeeply blessed bc God has GOT me THROUGH 🙌 Still growing but yeh this my answer
The areas of my life that is full of God’s love: dealing with people, animals, babies, etc.
Fruits of the spirit I posses: love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness
Hardest to grow: long suffering and self control