But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. - Galatians 5:22-23

I nearly drowned once in Lake Taupo, the surface underneath the lake is deceptive, with hills and valleys, if you are not a strong swimmer, it is easy to accidently get out of your depth before you realize it. Many people today in their Spiritual lives may feel they are 'out of their depth' or drowning in the tides of shifting cultural pressure. I know many who no longer watch the news because they find it too depressing with Wars and rumors of Wars; unless it effects them directly they don't want to know; they feel that it is all just too much. Still more no longer watch the mainstream media news because they have seen the bias and realized it can't be trusted. The USA Mainstream News and culture is now full of political bias seeping into and effecting everything. At least we don't get that bad here, NZ has a multi-party system, and Kiwi's usually won't ask what your politics are because we don't care about politics! But truth is with the internet, we live in a global world, many now get their news from social media, which too often spouts fake news. Many feel they are out of their depth and spiritually drowning, being carried along against their will before they really know what is happening. If you feel that way you are not alone.

We start out in our new Christian life wanting to become more like Jesus, many of us, went through group or individual learning programs to help us get a head start on walking with Jesus and learning about Jesus. Some as kids in Sunday School. I still remembered all the stories from Sunday School, when I finally got saved at age 16. Then I got given a book by the Church I joined (not the one I was raised in, which was pretty much dead). The book was aimed at teenagers (I was 16) and it was awesome, "A Survival Kit for New Christians", you know it was good because 45 or so years later I am still walking with Jesus. That doesn't mean I didn't backslide ever, it definitely doesn't mean my life was smooth sailing. It takes courage to be a Christian, it means following truth, and truth can hurt. A few times I sank beneath the waves, thankfully Jesus was always there to pull me out. But I always remembered the verse above because it is one that the survival kit had us memorize.

But the verse is also a challenge of sorts, take a look at your spiritual life right now, how much of the fruit of the Holy Spirit do you have in your life right now? This is where in a group situation you would be praying for each other, asking what fruit is God trying to grow in your life? Some of us don't have to be in a group to know the answer to that. Survival Kit was the right book for me because I am a survivor. Time and again the enemy has stolen my joy, trying to pull me down into depression. It would be easy for me to slide right back down there. Maybe that's why I like reading about the saints, it shows me my suffering is nothing special, they suffered much worse than me and I know others living with stories far worse than mine. All I can add is Jesus loves me, he has suffered right along with me, and he will with you, he carried me when it got too bad....He has given me supernatural peace, beyond understanding at times. I have seen prayers answered and miracles happen . . . and I dwell in his hope and grace. So which fruit is God working on in your life?