Mike Nappa - 29 Days to Different: Love: A Journaling Devotional

29 Days to Different: Love

2021 Nappaland Communications Inc.

Published by Aspire Press

An imprint of Hendrickson Publishing Group

Rose Publishing, LLC

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ISBN: 978-1-62862-923-1

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked ( niv ) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, niv . Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The niv and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked ( kjv ) are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

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 5:2223

Introduction

W elcome!

Im glad to meet you because, if youre reading this book, it means you have a desire to be changed spirituallyto cultivate habits over the next 29 days thatll allow the fruit of Christs Spirit to grow in you and move you toward spiritual maturity. I want that for you too, so were already on the same page (literally).

But before we get started, I must be the bearer of bad news:

You are incapable of creating any spiritually significant change in yourself.

Sure, you can look good, act well, and even train your mind to think in ways that fill you with satisfaction at your human efforts for self-improvement...

Ah, but thats the problem, isnt it?

No matter how strongly you exercise your will, no matter what you do, its still a human effort. Every attempt you make to better yourself, to live holy, or to produce good fruit will always be tainted by the ever-present human disease: sin . As the Scriptures tell us:

All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left Gods paths to follow our own. Isaiah 53:6

The Lord looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God. But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one! Psalm 14:23

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of Gods glorious standard. Romans 3:23

And whats worse, were not only infected with sin, we are overcome by it. Its so ingrained in the way we think and act and believe that Jesus had to tell us plainly: Everyone who sins is a slave of sin (John 8:34). So this is our bad news: We may long sincerely to be the finest examples of Christ followers, but the truth is that were slaves to sin, incapable of creating that authentic change we so desperately desire in ourselves.

This truth can feel very heavyand many people are already painfully aware of their faults and their powerlessness to change themselves. Instead of getting trapped under that weight, lets look forward, because in spite of the bad news...

There is still good news:

We dont have to change ourselves.

Again, the promise of Jesus is clear:

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:45 (emphasis mine)

An old pastor friend frequently explained this concept in this way:

Mikey , hed say, go into my backyard and sit under that apple tree. And listen, just listen. If youre very quiet, youll hear that tree begin to grunt and groan and strain. After much effort and toil, that old tree of will pop out an apple on the branch, right before your very eyes.

Then, with a twinkle in his eyes, Kent would pat me wisely on the shoulder and wait, because we all know that, without a doubt, thats how fruit grows... right?

Of course not!

And that was my mentors point. Fruit doesnt grow because a tree puts forth great effort to bring about change. Fruit grows on trees because thats what fruit trees do when theyre healthy ... when their roots go deep and theyre nourished by sunshine and water and soil. The fruit tree doesnt pop out apples as an act of its will. It simply cooperates with the Life that surrounds, fills, and feeds it. And then, in the fullness of time, that dependent cooperation with God produces fruit.

This principle also applies to how we develop the fruit of the Spirit.

The fruit of the Spirit flows naturally from being spiritually tethered toand dependent uponJesus, our only authentic Vine.