Action Required

Many years ago I taught prepared childbirth classes, which included conditioning for the mother-to-be to remain relaxed during contractions. This conditioning was based on Pavlov’s dogs, who heard a bell every time they ate. Eventually, the bell could ring and the dogs would salivate without seeing or smelling food. This could not be accomplished with the bell only ringing one time, but in order to work, much repetition had to take place. And, when a mother went into labor, the knowledge of relaxing did not work if she did not practice with much repetition in advance.

As believers in Jesus, we must practice abiding in Him, so that we have the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives. This fruit does not come only from knowing; we have to take the knowledge from our head and put it in our heart with Jesus. We cannot have fruit without abiding in Him. It is a continual process.

“I [Jesus] am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5  NKJV

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”  Galatians 5:22-25  NKJV