“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” (Galatians 5:22–23 NLT)
Many people have a very pessimistic, cynical outlook on life. Screenwriter John Patrick Shanley wrote this for a character played by actor Nicolas Cage: “We are here to ruin ourselves and break our hearts and love the wrong people and die.” Benjamin Disraeli, the former prime minister of England, came to this conclusion: “Youth is a blunder; manhood a struggle; old age a regret.” Actor George Clooney said, “I don’t believe in happy endings, but I do believe in happy travels, because ultimately, you die at a very young age, or you live long enough to watch your friends die. It is a mean thing, life.”
I’m here to tell you that there’s more to our existence in this world than this. Life need not be a series of inevitable bad choices. It need not be a progression of blunder, struggle, and regret. And it doesn’t need to be a mean thing.
Jesus said, “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10 NLT). Often, when we think about the life that Jesus offers, we think of the next one—how His death on the cross and resurrection makes eternal life possible for those who believe in Him. But as He makes clear in John 10, He transforms our lives in this world as well.
Jesus frees us from our slavery to sin and gives us a taste of true freedom. He allows us to experience life as God intends. He makes it possible for us to find real purpose and experience genuine fulfillment in this life.
The apostle Paul wrote, “And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago” (Ephesians 1:13 NLT). The Holy Spirit guides us down the paths God would have us go. If we follow His lead, our lives will be transformed.
In Galatians 5:22–23, Paul shows us what that transformation involves: “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (NLT). If you were to ask one hundred people what they need most in their lives right now, how many of them would mention one or more of the items on this list? Keep in mind, too, that these fruits grow in all conditions of life. Even without romance, you can grow in love. Even in trying times, you can find joy.
One of the devil’s most effective strategies is to convince people that the life Jesus offers is somehow restrictive, boring, or unfulfilling. He tries to distract us with empty, shallow, selfish, and ultimately destructive pursuits. He warps our perspective so that we can’t tell what’s truly meaningful and satisfying in life.
Don’t fall for his lies. Follow Christ. Discover how rich and satisfying your life can be.
Reflection question: How would you summarize your philosophy of life?
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