Others are watching you, wondering if your heart really belongs to God. Do you know how they determine if you are truly His child? They look for evidence of the relationship. No one has to wonder whether or not I am married. The wedding band on my finger tells the whole story. The same should be said of the Christian journey. The evidence is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control.
But these qualities of character do not simply appear, nor do they grow through the force of your will. They are like fruit, and they grow into your life as a result of your being related to Christ. You cannot bear this kind of fruit unless you are connected to the Lord. When these qualities are blatantly evident in your life, God is glorified. He wants everyone else to know that you belong to Him! He is proud of you! God carries your picture in His wallet.
Jesus summed up the key to developing these qualities. His command to us is this: Love others as He first loved us. If you heed His teaching, He will help you develop the character traits that prove to the world that this Earth is not our home.
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