Battling The Flesh Over The Fruit

This is a difficult post for me today because it exposes my fleshly faults. One thing that I have battled, probably my entire life, is my temper. I feel like it's a losing battle some days and today was one of those days. I found myself seeking forgiveness from the Lord because I let my temper get the best of me. Then I found myself seeking forgiveness from the one I hurt with my words and attitude. They know that I love them, which made the hurt so much harder to bare for both of us. The Bible warns us about the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:19-21, "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." Instead of cultivating the works of the flesh, we should be weeding them out of our spiritual garden where the Fruits of the Spirit should be growing. Galatians 5:22-26,"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperence: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another."

Anger Never Pays

When I have lost my temper

I have lost my reason, too

I'm never proud of anything

Which angrily I do.

When I have walked in anger

And my cheeks are flaming red,

I have always uttered something

That I wish I hadn't said.

In anger I have never done

A kindly deed, or wise,

But many things for which I know

I should apologize.

In looking back across my life

And all I've lost or made,

I can't recall a single time

When fury ever paid.

~unknown