Friday Nurturing Content - 11/24/23

Happy Friday, Friend!

As I reflect on the recent Thanksgiving holiday, I am filled with immense gratitude:

Thank you for the privilege of allowing us at the Christian Authors Network to serve you. Thank you for entrusting us with your vision and goals and partnering with us to get your story out there. Thank you for joining our community and building lasting relationships with our team members.

You have been the cornerstone of our success, and for that, we are truly thankful!

As we wrap up this month and our theme of “Fruit of the Spirit,” let’s reflect one last time on the remaining three fruits: Faithfulness, Gentleness, & Self-Control.

Faithfulness:

“But the Lord is faithful; He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.” -2 Thessalonians 3:3

"Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart." -Proverbs 3:3

Faithfulness is the quality of being reliable, trustworthy, and true to one's commitments. It comes as no surprise that the majority of the references to faithfulness in the Bible refer to God’s and not so much to ours. As a human race, we are incredibly unreliable and, as evident throughout much of the Old Testament, unfaithful. And yet, despite our shortcomings and failures at remaining faithful to our word or to God, our Lord is always faithful to us.

As believers, we are not only called to be faithful to God but to also reflect God’s faithfulness by being reliable, trustworthy, and honest in all that we say and do. Our faithfulness encourages other believers to remain steadfast in their faith. Of course, we may falter and fall short but, with the help of the Holy Spirit , we can continue to bear the fruit of faithfulness in the promises and commitments we make.

Gentleness:

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves.” -Matthew 11:28-29

“He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young.” -Isaiah 40:11

Gentleness involves humility, meekness, and a considerate demeanor towards others. It is the opposite of harshness. Much like with faithfulness and God, our greatest example of gentleness in the Bible is Christ.

Gentleness is a way for us Christians to stand out in contrast to the harsh, rude, and, oftentimes, aggressive ways of this world. It is a display of God’s love to those who are walking in darkness and should be an opportunity for others to find a much needed break with us, much like Jesus invites us to find rest within Him.

Self-Control:

"Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control." -Proverbs 25:28

“A mild answer turns back wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” -Proverbs 15:1

Self-control is the ability to govern one's desires, impulses, and actions. And it is, perhaps, one of the hardest fruits to cultivate. Whether we struggle with controlling our anger, our appetite, or our tongues, most of us have at least one area in our lives where we succumb to our desires simply because we cannot help ourselves.

Yet, for believers, self-control is most crucial for maintaining a disciplined and righteous life. By controlling our emotions (and our tongues) when we are provoked to anger, we are able to demonstrate Christ’s love to those around us and live peaceably with them.

Though no human being can tame his temper, stomach, or tongue on his own, the Spirit of God sure can. And, when we walk in step with the Spirit, we notice that the Spirit helps us to demonstrate power over our sinful nature and conduct ourselves in a manner that is most pleasing to God.

As we close out this month, I encourage you to think back on our monthly challenge. Reflect on all nine fruits but, especially, on the fruit you selected to focus on for your challenge. How have the past three weeks been for you?

How have you noticed the Holy Spirit bringing forth this fruit in your life?

How can you continue to improve even after November ends?

I leave you with this prayer:

Heavenly Father, help us to truly be a people of our word, to be gentle toward others, and to be disciplined when it comes to our words and our actions. Holy Spirit, continue your good work in us and help us to be faithful to you in our thoughts, our words, and our deeds; to be gentle toward others with our words and actions, and to exhibit self-control at all times. Thank you for being faithful to us always and gentle and kind. In your name we pray, amen.

Dedicated to your success,

Coach Tam