True Sweetness: 9 Days to Growing in the Fruit of the SpiritSample

Static Noise

"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal." I CORINTHIANS 13:1 NIV

Her road trip to the beach was on point. Sun streamed through the windows, warming her arms and legs as she drove the back roads of farms and fields, winding her way to the beautiful Gulf Coast. Making the most of her time, she turned on some tunes from a nearby radio station as she cruised along.

Slowly, though, the signal began to lose its strength. The static noise that simmered behind the songs soon began screeching louder than the music itself. Though she strained to hear the melody, not wanting to lose the connection, she saw that her persistence was getting her nowhere. The signal was lost, and silence over static became the better choice.

In a similar way, Scripture tells us that our lives send out a signal to those who are around us. With God’s Spirit inside us, our life has the power to ring with the sound of God’s mercy and grace. We can live out God’s message of love when we stay grounded and connected internally to the “signal source.” But if we drift too far away from the Father, distracted by worldly worries or drawn to old habits, we will inhibit the outflow of His Spirit. If our lives aren’t rooted in the love of Christ and nourishing others with the fruit His presence yields, then our lives will emit a chaotic static that signals others to tune us out. Without love, we lose our purpose and the power Jesus intends for us to use to build His kingdom.

Do you have people in your life that you find difficult to love? Do you feel like you’ve lost your signal strength by not staying close to the Savior? Jesus invites us all to return to Him in repentance and humility. He will strengthen and establish you so that your heart sings His praise and your love shows up loud and clear to the world around you.

Lord, I'm lost without Your love. I need You to change me and mold me into Your image so that I can love other people the way You do, from the heart. Please give me a heart like Yours so that the world will see You in me. In Jesus's name. Amen.