Examining the Fruits of the Holy Spirit in My Life

Examining the Fruits of the Holy Spirit in My Life

Jonathan Lewis

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22–23)

Begin
Take a few moments in silence with God. Imagine yourself sitting next to God. Notice that he is
looking at you and smiling as a loving Father. In this time of prayer and conversation with God ask
the Holy Spirit to illuminate your heart to the ways you love God and your neighbor.

Love
Love of God: Do I love God above all things, with my time, attention, and choices, or has something else taken first place in my heart?
Love of Neighbor: Do I love the people in my life sacrificially, or mostly when it is convenient for me?Is there someone I am withholding love from? A family member,
coworker, or an enemy?

Joy
Love of God: Is my joy rooted in Christ and his promises, or is it dependent on circumstances going my way?
Love of Neighbor: Have I allowed division, disappointment, or bitterness to separate me from people in my life?

Peace
Love of God: Do I carry an inner restlessness that reveals a lack of trust in God’s plan for my life?
Love of Neighbor: Am I a peacemaker in my relationships, or do I stir up conflict, take sides, or hold grudges?

Patience
Love of God: Do I trust God’s timing in the areas where I am waiting, or do I frequently try to force outcomes on my own?
Love of Neighbor: Am I patient with people who are slow to change, who frustrate me, or who repeatedly fall short of my expectations (including myself)?

Kindness
Love of God: Do my private moments (when no one is watching) reflect a heart that is tender and grateful before God?
Love of Neighbor: Are my words and actions consistently kind? Especially online, at home, and toward people I find difficult?Is there someone I have treated harshly or dismissively with whom I need to make amends?

Goodness
Love of God: Do I actively pursue what is good, or do I merely avoid what is obviously wrong?Is there an area of my life where I know the right thing to do and am choosing not to do it?
● Love of Neighbor: Am I upright and virtuous in my dealings with others in business, in friendship, and in how I represent myself? Would strangers know that I am a Christian based upon the goodness of my actions day in and day out?

Faithfulness
Love of God: Am I faithful to the commitments I have made to God, to my family, to my church, and to my work? Am I faithful in the small things God has entrusted to me in the ordinary responsibilities of my daily life?
Love of Neighbor: Am I a person of my word? Do the people in my life know they can count on me to follow through? Do I follow through, or do I frequently leave things unfinished?

Gentleness
Love of God: Do I enter into prayer with the faith of a child or with formality, rigidity, or a sense of obligation? Am I vulnerable to God and open to being led to grow in new ways that may be uncomfortable or unfamiliar?
Love of Neighbor: Do I treat people with care? Or do I use my words and strength in ways that wound rather than heal?

Self-Control
Love of God: Am I disciplined in my spiritual life: in daily prayer, reading of Scripture, Sunday Mass, etc.? Or do I often get distracted, give up, or give into temptations?
Love of Neighbor: Are there negative patterns or excesses in my life: food, screens, spending, anger, addictions, etc. that are controlling me and distancing me from God and
others?

Conclude
As you conclude your time of prayer and examination, thank God for the new awareness he has raised in your mind and heart. Ask the Lord for the grace to bear good fruit in the world through the power of the Holy Spirit.