But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 NIV
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. 2 Peter 1:5-9
This passage leads us to another list–one that has a sense of increasing order. It almost reads like a cooking recipe:
Get out your faith.
Add some goodness.
Combine. Let stand for 10 minutes.
Sprinkle in some knowledge, self-control, and perseverance. Stir vigorously.
Pour on the godliness, brotherly kindness, and love.
Gently combine, mixing thoroughly.
Bake.
I am an experimental cook and I love to tweak recipes. I am thankful to have been given the free will to make some choices in how things mix together even though His recipe for our lives is right there in Scripture. I tweak with His plan and it clearly affects the outcome–bad news for me. And the Good News? His forgiveness and restoration for my mishaps. I don’t know how He does it, but He can take a recipe for disaster and transform it into a beautiful thing.
What’s cooking for you today?
Liz