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The Fruitful Life

For many years, I have been reticent to read or study about the fruits of the spirit.  I haven't wanted to read about them because something made me feel like it was a formula for trying to fix myself.  A different way of looking at self-help, but self-help none the less.  I am reading The Fruitful Life by Jerry Bridges and like his other books, he has this amazing way of communicating that our choices are intertwined with God's will.  We are neither to take no action or to take all actions without regard for God.

Here are a few good quotes from the past two days...
From the chapter on Peace...
"But the more ordinary adversities of life rob us of peace because we have a tendency to try and deal with these events ourselves. We worry, fret, and scheme over distressing circumstances, and we envy or resent other people who appear to get a better deal in life or who mistreat us in some way." p. 91

"We cannot have peace within or with other people until we first have peace with God." p. 90

From the chapter on Patience...
"Only as we fear God will we submit to the trials He sends or allows.  And only as we deeply apprehend His love for us in Christ will we find the courage to bear up under them.  Trials always change our relationship with God.  Either they drive us to Him, or they drive us away from Him.  The extent of our fear of Him and our awareness of His love for us determines in which direction we will move." p. 115

There is so much more to these two chapters that I wish I could share, but I need to go fix my children some breakfast and make wise choices so that my day will not be too busy and I will find it easier to be patient =)
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