Transcript
Speaker: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self -control. Galatians 5, 22 -23.
Speaker: Faithfulness. Heavenly Father, so many of the fruits of the Spirit are about how I interact with others and show love to others in my neighbor.
Speaker: And yet Jesus said there are two greatest commandments. And the first is to love you, to love God and love others. And to me, faithfulness is about that. It's about the way that I put you first in my life or the desire to put you first in my life, to return to you when I get off track, to be faithful.
Speaker: even when it's hard and even when I mess up. I think of it kind of like a circle where my intentions are good and I want to love you and I want to serve you and want to be faithful. And I go out and I i try and I mess up and then I have to come to you and I confess and ask your forgiveness and ask for your spirit again and so you fill me up and then I go out again and and try and like this never ending circle of of me trying to be faithful in this life. And I'm so thankful that you're patient with me. So thankful
Speaker: read how he made it a priority to spend time with you in prayer and solitude. He made his relationship with you more important than anything else, more important than his life. In the end, he chose you over himself. He chose your love for this also hard because
Speaker: I just get busy. I get busy with the things of this world and I get busy chasing after my dreams and my aspirations and my faithfulness to you and to the way that you call me to live oftentimes come in second or third or fourth or fifth or even last if I'm being honest.
Speaker: And when I think about all the ways of prioritizing my relationship with you, being in worship and studying your word and being in community with others and loving and
Speaker: I know that's the right place for you. You designed us to need our relationship with you more than any other thing.
Speaker: That is... the way of Jesus and I want to live like that. So please fill me with your Holy Spirit and help me to make decisions in my life that lead to greater faithfulness. Help me to prioritize worship and to prioritize learning about you through your word and having an active relationship with you in prayer and conversation and um just always, always looking to you for direction and for meaning in my life instead of the ways of this world. Lord, I want to be faithful. I want my life to show your faithfulness because that is how you made me to be.
Speaker: Thank you for loving me, Jesus, and thank you for forgiving me when I don't get it right. And may you please help me today, Lord, to be faithful to my relationship with you, to the way you call me to love and serve others, and to the purpose that you have for me in living in this world. I love you. Amen.
