Fruit of His Spirit: A Link-Up in the Pages of Our Heritage of Faith

Joshua's journey of faith continues to testify of the Lord's Faithfulness to us. He has written a new chapter in it in the last couple of weeks that I want to tell you about. 


Our most recent trip included my sister's family, all of whom we adore. Our children love their cousins and they are just a lot of fun to be around. 


But when they joined us in Bandera, Kregg and I noticed something: Joshua's attitude. Almost simultaneously timed with the arrival of the cousins, Joshua's behavior changed. We were having to get on to him frequently for poor choices and bad judgments. It was really becoming a problem. 


So one evening early in the trip, I got him alone and the Spirit told me what to do. I can be really quick to tell my children what they are doing wrong. That can be the right approach in certain instances, but often times it isn't best. Especially as they get older. Thankfully, I listened to the Spirit this time instead of "pulling the trigger" on my assessment of the situation. 


"Joshua, have you noticed anything different since the cousins arrived?"


"Yes. Ya'll have been getting on to me a lot."


"Why?"


He shuffled his feet as he searched for an answer. "Because I've been doing whatever I want."


"Why?"


"Because I haven't been making good choices."


"But, why?"


His head hung lower, "I've been showing off."


"Why?"


"I want them to think I'm cool."


Now, we are getting somewhere. The Spirit dwelling inside him revealed the motives of his heart. 


The Spirit. 


Not Mom.


We talked about the fact that the cousins already love him and think he's wonderful. They are already impressed by his talents and abilities. I reminded him that his behavior wouldn't make them love him more and it would never make him happy. And we reviewed the fact that we are seeking God's approval, not man's. 


His heart was convicted. That heart that is so tender because of the work of the Spirit was touched deeply. Tears filled his eyes and he spent the next hour or hour and a half walking around outside in the dark, cool evening, alone with His Father. 


After a while, I went out to check on him and, with tears in his eyes, he said he was just praying and walking. 


Big hug. 


I told him how very precious his repentance was and how very proud of him I was and just held him while he cried. 


Joshua turned 14 years old last month and the last seven of those years, he has been our son. Having been thrown away by his birth parents, the evil one had whispered, "unworthy," "worthless," "unlovable" to him for years. Joshua's response had been to try to prove his worth. He was a "pleaser." He would do anything if you would only like him, love him, be impressed by him. Anything to make himself feel valuable. 


Of course, the gaping hole in his heart wasn't satisfied by any of those attempts. The only thing that would fill it and heal it was looking to His Father. He has been slowing learning.


And so, because of the Faithful work of the Spirit in his heart, all Joshua needed that night was to stop and look into his heart and listen to the Spirit. From that point on in our trip, the need for external corrections from us basically ended. He had put the Spirit back in control of his young heart.


And so we marvel. 


The Faithfulness of our God is beyond our ability to comprehend because our minds are unable to contain the fullness of Him. He has taken this young man, born on the other side of this planet in a remote village in far eastern Siberia, to parents addicted to a bottle of vodka, and given him Himself. He has made Joshua His Own Beloved son. And the gaping hole that was in Josh's heart continues to heal.

Now it's your turn. Would you share with us how the Lord has shown Himself Faithful to you? It can be a recent post or an ancient one. It can be a story from your grandmother or one about your child. He reveals Himself to us in every moment of every day, if we just look. Your story will bless us.