Dear New Life,

We just celebrated the 4th of July AND we just finished our series on the fruit of the Spirit. I'd like to put these concepts together for a moment.

Deeply underlying the celebration of our nation's independence is the value we place on freedom. Freedom is one of Paul's main themes in the book of Galatians, where the fruit of the Spirit is described. But the irony is that what is meant to bring freedom ends up imprisoning us by our own guilt.

Do you read the list of the fruit of the Spirit and find yourself assessing how you're doing? Maybe some positives and some areas to improve? Then you make a quick mental note to focus on what you lack. Rather than going to God, the only one who actually can produce the fruit of the Spirit within us, you try to make it on our own.

But God desires better for us. He longs to grant us freedom from spending all our time and energy trying to make gods out of ourselves. Instead, He invites us to lean into Him for everything we need. He invites us to experience the kind of freedom that only He has to offer. May that freedom be your gift whenever you recognize you aren't living up to your own standards (or the world's).

Joel VanderSchel, on Behalf of the Elder and Minister Team