A Blossom That Eternally Blooms

A Blossom That Eternally Blooms
Pastor Paula White

A good way to determine how steadfast your faith in Christ is, and how completely you have given your life over to the leading of God's Holy Spirit, is to consider the joyous message we are given in Galatians 5:22 - 25:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Galatians 5:22 - 25

These verses offer an awesome, inspiring, and deeply comforting revelation of how the Christian believer's life, spirit, and actions should transform and manifest when truly "spirit-filled" and "delivered." I can find no better description in the Bible of what a believer experiences, shares and expresses, when listening to, acting out of, and sharing the Spirit of God.

In other words: our lives should "bloom" with the fruit - the "blossom" -- or living proof, of the Holy Spirit within us! And people should be able to see our fruit - in our actions, our words, our lives...as clearly as we might see a juicy, ripe orange hanging from a branch as we pass by...or smell the delicious fragrance of beautiful tulip in spring.

In the verses from Galatians, the words "love," "joy," "peace," "gentleness," and "goodness," immediately fill us with a gratitude to the Creator for His deep and abiding devotion to us. He is GOOD...and His Spirit fills us with His goodness, wraps us in His love, comforts us with His peace, and calms us with His gentleness - and define what true, lasting, and eternally accessible "joy of the Lord" is made up of.

"Longsuffering," "meekness," "faith" and "temperance," are words that describe the characteristics we should display to the world as mature, Spirit-filled Christian believers. Hard won, steadily nurtured, carefully tended virtues - these are the sometimes painfully cultivated fruits of a harvest that the Spirit reveals through our patient, passionate, and persistent commitment to getting the best of what God has to offer!

There is another vital reason for nurturing the Holy Spirit within: it is only through the guidance of that "small, still voice" that we will be able to reap the sustenance of God's grace, power, strength and fortitude during the darkest and most difficult seasons of our lives. His fruits within us are nourishing, empowering, and life-transforming characteristics that will show the world God's omnipotence - as in our weakness, but through His strength, even while shaken, we stand...when everything around us tumbles.

So seek to cultivate the fruits of the Spirit that God reveals in Galatians...and in every season of life, you will be a walking testimony of God's glory on our earth today - truly "a blossom in eternal bloom!"

My personal take....

What a great word. We come across people who are at different levels in their walk with Christ. As Pastor White points out we must be mature Christians walking in "meekness", "temperance" & "faith". When we remove ourselves from the word of God we remove all that is of Him. We begin to speak work that do not uplift, but tear down. We begin to act as if we don't even know Him instead of acting so that God shines through us. There comes a time when we must relinquish our full body, mind & spirit to God so that others can smell the beautiful fragrance of God. This word was right on point.

The time has come for us to take heed and follow the word of God. It is not time to be a play play christian, the time is now to grow and mature in Christ. No longer can we walk in what the world has given us to walk in. we don't have to talk like those that are not of Christ. Let us not be disruptive to those around us with negative talk and hurtful words and actions. We must practice what the word has taught us. We must use that meekness, that temperance and that faith to help another. It is not about us but about God. What we do here on earth should be to edify Him. Our actions, reactions, words, thoughts she be on Him. When we remove self, we allow the Holy Spirit to usher in. The time is NOW for tomorrow is not promised. Relinquish your self and grow in him and come to full blossom.

Be Blessed, Be Encouraged and Be a Blessing!