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October 18, 2021 8:00 pm
In February 2020, as the COVID-19 crisis was just beginning, a newspaper columnist’s concerns struck me. Would we willingly self-isolate, she wondered, changing our work, travel, and shopping habits so others wouldn’t get sick? “This isn’t just a test of clinical resources,” she wrote, “but of our willingness to put ourselves out for others.” Suddenly, the need for virtue was frontpage news.
It can be hard to consider others’ needs while we’re anxious about our own. Thankfully, we’re not left with willpower alone to meet the need. We can ask the Holy Spirit to give us love to replace our indifference, joy to counter sadness, peace to replace our anxiety, forbearance (patience) to push out our impulsiveness, kindness to care about others, goodness to see to their needs, faithfulness to keep our promises, gentleness instead of harshness, and self-control to lift us beyond self-centeredness (Galatians 5:22–23). While we won’t be perfect at all this, we’re called to seek the Spirit’s gifts of virtue regularly (Ephesians 5:18).
Author Richard Foster once described holiness as the ability to do what needs to be done when it needs to be done. And such holiness is needed every day, not just in a pandemic. Do we have the capacity to make sacrifices for the sake of others? Holy Spirit, fill us with the power to do what needs to be done.
Hello friends and welcome to Our Daily Bread on surety voices and I've titled today's reading when to sacrifice in February 2020 is the coded 19 crisis was just beginning a newspaper columnists concerned struck me what we willingly self isolate.
She wanted changing our work travel and shopping habits so others wouldn't get sick. This isn't just a test of clinical resources. She wrote, but of our willingness to put ourselves out for others. Suddenly the need for virtue was front-page news can be hard to consider others' needs while were anxious about our own. Thankfully when uplift with willpower, learn to meet the need.
We can ask the Holy Spirit to give us love to replace our indifference joy to counter sadness piece to replace our anxiety, forbearance or patience to push out our impulsiveness kindness to care about others goodness to see today needs faithfulness to keep our promises gentleness instead of harshness and self-control to lift us beyond self-centeredness. While we would be perfect… With cold to seek the Spirit's gifts of virtue regularly.
Author Richard Foster once described holiness as the ability to do what needs to be done when it needs to be done in such holiness is needed every day, not just in the pandemic. Do we have the capacity to make sacrifices for the sake of others. Holy Spirit fill us with the power to do what needs to be done. Today's Scripture reading is from Galatians chapter 5 verses 22 to 26 but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
Let's pray together Holy Spirit every day. We attempted to see our needs and wants as the only ones that really matter, would you fill us afresh today and make us people who care about others becoming people of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Would you fill us in.
You and make us people of virtue in Jesus name we pray.
Amen. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread ministries
