Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)
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!
All people have things in life that bring them fulfillment and joy. Some have food, others television, some the Great Outdoors, still others ice cream and shopping sprees. Mine involve reading and writing. And occasionally, I blend the two- by reading a book about writing. In the midst of doing this one day, I perused a story by the prolific Anne Lamott. She related that as a child, her brother had a research paper about birds due. The next day. Like the vast majority of young people, he’d waited until the last minute to complete it. As he silently brewed over the enormous task before him, blank paper and a dozen unopened bird books stared back up at him. Noticing his predicament, their father plopped down beside him, threw his arm over the boy’s shoulder, and reassuringly said, “Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.”
There is profound wisdom in the story. As believers- especially new ones- the amount of change we must undertake for radical life change can seem overwhelming. We may be staring blankly into the Bible (or the eyes of John after the sermon), mentally listing all the areas that are unacceptable to GOD: our lusts, greed, jealousy, selfishness, anger, bitterness, foul-mouths, poor choices in entertainment, double lifestyle, subtle stealing, whatever it is. And the task seems overwhelming.
Rather than slamming the Bible shut and giving up, remember this story. “Just take it bird by bird, buddy.” Or in our case, change by change. Make the choice to work on one issue at a time, adding others in due time. The task then seems to become more manageable.
Don’t misinterpret what I’m saying here. I’m not advocating putting all of your issues off. Keep in mind that the brother’s bird paper was due the next day, not some indefinite date in the distant future. Rather than using the process as an excuse, follow this example. Today, say nothing derogatory to anyone. Tomorrow, do the same thing, plus add letting go of any anger built up to that person. Then on the third day, complete those two plus reach out to them in kindness. You see, each issue builds upon another, each pushing further and further into life change.
And remember this: That which is impossible with man, is possible with GOD!
