Fruits of the Season

by Ginger Metz

"You know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires" (Romans 13:11-14).

As I read this passage in Romans from our upcoming epistle lesson, I'm on holiday auto-pilot. We just finished the Fall Festival, and I'm winding down a short work week and thinking about Thanksgiving prep. My thoughts are occupied by all the holiday busyness, not to mention the constant (and now even earlier) bombardment of Black Friday sales.

In the middle of all this, however, my mind wanders back to the last part of the passage "put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”

When all is said and done, it's not about how good the Thanksgiving stuffing turned out, or if I had time to make my German Pear Tart. The more important question revolves around whether or not we're putting on the Lord Jesus. Are we more concerned about the fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) than we are about the fruits in our desserts?

Let's spend this season with gratitude in our hearts. We are grateful and thankful for each and every one of you. May everyone have a blessed Thanksgiving, may we remember to put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and may we enter into this Advent Season with great anticipation of the coming of our Lord.