Is your home marked by the fruits of the Spirit?
"When the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.…
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.
If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit's leading in every part of our lives.
Let us not become conceited, or irritate one another, or be jealous of one another."
Galatians 5:22-26 NLT
The Spirit-filled home
"How do you remember your childhood home? Was it a loving and welcoming place?
Maybe there were evidences of kindness and generosity—fresh homemade cookies, a dollhouse or model planes you and your dad built together, a warm welcome always waiting for you, an old couch to be shared with brothers and sisters.
Perhaps you don't have such wonderful childhood memories. Not everyone does.
Homes can be places of cruelty as well—places full of criticism and humiliation, places characterized by conflict, jealousy, and pain.
Loving homes don't just magically appear. They are the result of a husband and wife's commitment to letting God's Spirit control their lives.
When you follow the Spirit's leading, God produces kindness, goodness, patience, and love in your lives. Then the home a marriage creates can become a light to the neighborhood, a place where friends and neighbors can experience genuine love and acceptance.
If you are married, what type of home do you want your marriage to create?
Ask God today to plant the seeds of loving kindness in your life, your marriage, and your home.
from Praying God's Promises for My Marriage by Jon Farrar (Tyndale) pp 132-33
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