Making An Appearance
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
No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. Luke 6:43-45
INSIGHT
A debate has been raging through the ages: real vs. artificial Christmas tree? After what happened to several friends, you can count me firmly in the artificial camp. A few years back, our friends purchased a “perfect” Christmas tree at a local lot. They took it home, adorned it with all their ornaments, and started placing gifts beneath it.
The warmth of their home and the rustling of the branches coaxed thousands of little insects from their dormant slumber. Eggs hatched in spring-like temperatures, and soon the perfect Christmas tree was future firewood. Little did our friends know that what was happening deep within the branches would become a problem for them.
What happens on the inside always gets expressed on the outside.
Nowhere is this better seen than with our emotions. There are thoughts and actions that feed our emotions and allow them to grow. Our emotions are incapable of staying dormant. It’s only a matter of time until those emotions get expressed to the outside world.
Under the right conditions, they are primed to make an appearance.
Joyous people can’t contain themselves. They overflow with gratitude. On the other hand, anger can spring up any time we don’t get our way. How we respond to the world around us provides glimpses into the state of our hearts.
Our reactions can catch us off guard. When we find ourselves saying, “Where did this come from?” we know that we need to pause and understand that it came from within.
REFLECTION
Think of a time recently where you caught yourself saying, “Where did that come from?” How did your actions speak to what was going on inside of your heart?
PRAYER
God, my emotions aren’t only mine. Even though they are part of my heart, they get expressed to the world around me. I shouldn’t take that statement lightly. Instead, it should spur me on to examine my emotions and come face-to-face with what is taking place on the inside. Allow me to be vulnerable enough to see the current state of my heart. In Your name, Jesus. Amen.
