Feeding our Faith

Since we've just celebrated the Feast of Pentecost......I'd like to share an article that was sent to me by the Youth Dept. of the Greek Archdiocese.
Please, take your time and read each section, then pray about it and ask God to help us to walk in faith - guided by the Holy Spirit!
[frame="1 70"]و بعدين اذا بتحبوا تنقلوه للقسم يلي بتشوفوه مناسب اكتر[/frame]




FEEDING OUR FAITH
“Living” the Fruits of the Holy Spirit

Here is some “food” for thought. We have rules and laws that do not allow certain behaviors or actions such as adultery, murder, hatred, drunkenness, etc. Many of these things are prohibited by God and are prohibited by the laws of our land! But are there really any rules or laws against being kind to someone, having self-control, being peaceful, or being joyful? Of course not. Yet, why do we find so few instances of people living a life “in the Spirit” versus living the works of the flesh? Let’s take a look at some of the “Fruits of the Holy Spirit,” as noted in Galatians 5:22, and discuss how we can keep our faith growing every day.

LONG-SUFFERING
Sounds like a weird thing to do! Who wants to suffer for a long time, or even a short time? But long-suffering is a fruit of the Spirit because it is an exercise of patience. Life can be pretty difficult and straining. However, we are called to be patient and endure the struggle rather than give up and lose hope. Jesus Christ endured torture, humiliation, mocking, and even death. However, He did not lose hope. Instead, He looked to God for strength and courage. He knew that at the end of His struggle, God would resurrect Him.
How do we “live” this fruit of the Spirit? We will ALL endure some type of challenge, obstacle, or struggle. But we can live this fruit of the Spirit by never giving up hope. Always exercise patience when dealing with difficult situations. This patience will help you not react too quickly or give up too fast. For example, if a bully is really “pushing your buttons,” you can go to someone and ask for help rather than reacting negatively. Or if a task is taking more time and work than you had expected, keep pushing through. Your hard work and diligence will show and pay off in the end.

JOY
In a world of depressing news and angry people, “joy” is a fruit of the Spirit that really is contagious and desperately needed in our society. Joy is more than just having fun. Joy is a state of being elated, happy, content, and filled with positive feelings. Joy is something that comes from within and stays with us… long-lasting fulfillment versus temporary thrill.
So how can we “live” this fruit of the Spirit? First of all, take note of the good things and blessings in your life. It might be one thing, or it could be 100 things. But be joyful and thankful about the gift(s) that you have been given. Your joy and gratefulness will be contagious. Others will see that your joy and will be inspired to seek out THAT type of happiness and fulfillment.

SELF-CONTROL
“Self-control” seems pretty self-explanatory right? Well, having self-control is actually a difficult thing to do when we sometimes feel pressure to have an excess and self-indulgence. We should have what we want, have as much as we want, do what we want, and say what we want. But instead, we are called to have self-control in many different aspects of our life.
So what does it mean to “live” a life of self-control? We can show self-control when it comes to our temper. For example, we might want to initially react when someone says something rude to us. Instead of punching that person, we walk away and handle in a better fashion. We can also show self-control when it comes to our bodies. Just because others are trying out drugs and alcohol doesn't mean WE have to indulge in those things. Finally, we can always show self-control when it comes to the things we say. Sometimes we think before we speak, or we say things out of anger our hurt. But if we show self-control over the things that come out of our mouths, we might prevent feelings from being hurt or saying something we cannot take back.

LOVE
It all comes down to love. These fruits of the Spirit, and the others, really are based on loving God, loving ourselves, and loving our neighbor. If we are joyful, we show God and others that we love the blessing of life and want to share that blessing with others. If we exhibit self-control, we show God and others that we love that which we have been given and do not need to be over-indulgent, frivolous, or reckless. If we are long-suffering and patient, we show that we love and trust God through retaining our hope that He will carry us even in the worst of times.
Ultimately, love is a fruit of the Spirit because it is through love we are given life. God created us in love. Jesus Christ sacrificed His life in love so that we may inherit eternal life with God. And the Holy Spirit guides us in love so that we might continue to focus on God in our everyday lives and to share that love with others.



نعمة الرب تكون مع الجميع, امين