Daily Delight Devotional – Wednesday, October 2, 2024

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness…

– Galatians 5:22, NKJV

Love is the foundation of the fruit of the Spirit. It is the starting point from which all other characteristics flow. None of the other aspects of the fruit of the Spirit can manifest without love. Love is the summation of the law and the prophets. Love is the foundation of the New Covenant. Love sets the standard for how we relate to God and others. Love is the true measure of how mature we are in Christ. This is why we must reflect God’s love.

God’s kind of Love is the point of reference here. It is not ordinary love or conditional or transactional love. It is God’s selfless, sacrificial love, just as Jesus Christ has. He loved us even when we didn’t deserve it, and His love is what enables us to love others in the same way. When we love as God loves, we clearly reflect His nature, and His love is perfected in us (1 John 4:12). If we must show that we have received God’s love, then reflect God’s love to others

For emphasis, every aspect of the fruit of the Spirit is rooted in love. Joy is an expression of love’s delight. Peace comes from resting in God’s love. Patience and kindness show love’s enduring and caring nature. Goodness flows from love’s pure heart, faithfulness from love’s loyalty, gentleness from love’s tenderness, and self-control from love’s discipline. When we allow God’s love to fill and overflow in us, it impacts every other area of our spiritual walk.

Insight: To reflect God’s love is to live out every aspect of the fruit of the Spirit.

Prayer: Lord, help me to reflect Your love in all I do.

Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 126-128