As the New Year approaches, a sense of change fills the air. People everywhere are beginning to make their resolution lists, eager for fresh starts and new goals. But instead of getting swept up in the typical lists, I find myself drawn to the powerful words of Galatians 5 -The two conflicting lists.
One is a list we want to avoid at all costs—“The acts of the flesh list”
The other list, you want to live by is “The Fruit of the Spirit List”
Now, when I think about the Fruit of the Spirit, I can’t help but picture a time when I was teaching Galatians 5. I had set a gorgeous table overflowing with the most vibrant, mouth-watering fruit. 🍊🍎🍍 🍇🍓🍐
Every piece was intentionally beautifully placed to represent what God wants to cultivate in us. Like that fruit, the Spirit’s work in us is meant to bring beauty, sweet aroma, nourishment, and joy to ourselves and those around us.
I’ll never forget as I was teaching about this, it stirred up “THE LIST”—you know, that flesh list. It was quite the moment.
As I began teaching, I said, “This isn’t just a list of goals; it’s a divine blueprint for how we’re meant to live! It’s an invitation to let the Spirit’s fruit blossom in our lives. As we enter this new season, let’s commit to cultivating love, joy, peace, and all the beautiful things God has in store for us.”
I had just finished that sentence, and out of nowhere, a woman stood up in the crowd. There was no reason for it—just pure hatred without a cause. It was almost surreal. Her daughter joined in, and soon, the whole family provoked me, trying to pull me into a spiral of sin and rotten fruit.
Can you believe that?
The Lord gave me a visual: All right, I could allow the Holy Spirit to produce in me good fruit, or I could allow my flesh to rise up and become rotten and stink just like there’s.
And yet, at that moment, all I could think was, “Well, you wanted a visual, alright?” Just imagine my heart in these circumstances.
The Holy Spirit began to overflow with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
This wasn’t just a nice thought; it became a reality, and everyone there saw the example right before them. They couldn’t destroy the healthy orchard the Holy Spirit planted and maintained within me.
Remember, rotten fruit has an expiration date.
“This isn’t just a list of goals; it’s a divine blueprint for how we’re meant to live!
Galatians chapter 5, you will discover two distinctly different lists.
One is a list we want to avoid at all costs—“The acts of the flesh list”
It serves as a stark reminder of all our selfish compulsions. Its root is sinful self-interest, which is at odds with “The Fruit of the Spirit List.” So, as we embark on this fresh chapter, let’s commit ourselves to pursuing the fruits of the Spirit, embracing love, joy, and peace, and leaving behind that which does not reflect the heart of Christ. Let’s step into this New Year with intention and purpose!
Isn’t it amazing how we can get caught up in a cycle that feels never-ending? Each new year brings excitement for fresh starts and new goals. We dive into our lists with so much hope, but then we scroll through social media and can’t help but compare our lives to others. That comparison can quickly lead to feelings of competition and self-doubt, making us feel like we don’t measure up. Before we know it, we find ourselves right back where we started.
We aren’t playing a game of Monopoly.
It’s your life, your story to tell, and it is unique.
And let’s be honest—scrolling through the internet can magnify those negative feelings, taking us backward instead of forward.
Galatians chapter 5 is a summary statement.
It’s easy to blame our struggles on everything around us—if only people would treat us better, if only we had what they have, or if our situations were different. But here’s the truth: the fundamental transformation starts within us. We must acknowledge that the heart of the matter often lies deep within ourselves.
“The check-it list”
I’m calling this “The Check-It List” because it’s all about checking off the things that don’t belong in our lives! ✔️ Delivered from all of it!
In Galatians 5:19-21, we get a clear picture of what we need to let go of. But here’s the good news—Jesus’s shed blood can wash away that whole sin list! Hallelujah! 🙌 We are redeemed and ✔️ checked off from that list!
But here’s the thing: we don’t just want to make this a once-a-year check. This should be a “check-your-life list” that we revisit regularly! We need to hold ourselves accountable to the Word of God. Allowing Him to cleanse our hearts that’s when we truly surrender. And that’s when we start to see the beautiful fruit of the Spirit blossom in our lives.
We can’t ignore the fact that the world is caught up in these self-sins. So, let’s take a moment to reflect on “The Check-It List” or what I like to call “The Acts of the Flesh List.” Let’s lean into God and embrace the freedom He offers!
The acts of the flesh lists.
19 The ·wrong things the sinful self does [works of the flesh/sinful nature] are ·clear [evident; obvious]: ·being sexually unfaithful [sexual immorality], ·not being pure [impurity], ·taking part in sexual sins [depravity; promiscuity], 20 ·worshiping gods [idolatry], ·doing witchcraft [sorcery], ·hating [hostility; antagonism], ·making trouble [discord; strife], being jealous, ·being angry [rage], ·being selfish [rivalries], ·making people angry with each other [dissensions], ·causing divisions among people [factions], 21 feeling envy, being drunk, ·having wild and wasteful parties [carousings; orgies], and doing other things like these.
Galatians 5:21 The danger and the destiny of those who live in the works of the flesh.
Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God: To walk in these works of the flesh is to be in plain rebellion against God, and those in plain rebellion against God will not inherit the kingdom of God.
“The fruit appears as a result of yielding to the Holy Spirit, our helper.”
Let’s take a moment to remember something super important: when we walk in the Spirit, the fruit we bear is nothing short of amazing. But when we lean into the flesh, that fruit can get pretty rotten.
“The Fruit of the Spirit list”
Galatians 5:22-23 Examples of the fruit of the Spirit that walking in the Spirit produces in our lives.
But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings fruit into our lives, much like fruit is produced in an orchard.
So, let’s make this year all about transformation from the inside out! Let’s reflect fresh, sweet examples of the Spirit in everything we do.
Yes! The tests will come to see if you have fresh or rotten fruit.
Together, we can bear worthy fruit that brings glory to God!