Galatians 5:22-23
One of my favourite phrases of all time comes from the play "Hamlet" written by Shakespeare. In scene 2 act 2 there is the line "many wearing rapiers are afraid of goose-quills and dare scarce come thither." or as its more often quoted nowadays, "the pen is mightier than the sword"
It's true that pens don't quite have the same ability to cut off the arms of people coming to attack you, but what you write and what comes from it has a huge effect on how people think and act. A health book could well change you diet and you lifestyle, a well written fiction book can often make you see friends and family in a new light and reading scriptures can bring us so much closer to God. Just about everything you see today that makes you think will have had to have been put together with pen and paper to start with.
The Spirit of God is the same as the pen in this sense in that it is often because of something small that you are influenced in a big way. The difference is that the spirit doesn't work as much with what you see and hear but more what you feel. in Galatians 5:22-23 It says
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."
These feelings are always the result is some way of the Spirit working with you. and I don't now about you but these are the feelings I try to have every day, especially the peace part.
So of all the things that Romans wear why does Paul compare the spirit to the sword? Because the sword is the most important piece of equipment they have. Of all the things they have to care for and look after this one takes priority over everything, all the protection in the world will never allow the Roman empire to grow. In the same way reading nothing but scripture all day everyday will do nothing to help you unless you learn how to recognise the spirit of God and how he talks to us.
So if the feelings in Galatians are the fruits of the spirit (the results), what does the spirit itself feel like? This is really personal, no person on earth can tell you how the spirit of God talks to you. For me, more often than not, its an idea that comes to mind, a small thought that will lead me to an answer I've been looking for for a while or will lead me to somewhere when I can use my ability's to help someone else. But I know for others it comes as a more urgent need to do something. basically its very very personal to you.
So of all the things that Romans wear why does Paul compare the spirit to the sword? Because the sword is the most important piece of equipment they have. Of all the things they have to care for and look after this one takes priority over everything, all the protection in the world will never allow the Roman empire to grow. In the same way reading nothing but scripture all day everyday will do nothing to help you unless you learn how to recognise the spirit of God and how he talks to us.
So if the feelings in Galatians are the fruits of the spirit (the results), what does the spirit itself feel like? This is really personal, no person on earth can tell you how the spirit of God talks to you. For me, more often than not, its an idea that comes to mind, a small thought that will lead me to an answer I've been looking for for a while or will lead me to somewhere when I can use my ability's to help someone else. But I know for others it comes as a more urgent need to do something. basically its very very personal to you.
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