But the Spirit produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, self-control. – Galatians 5:22

There is so much turmoil and evil in the world today; so many needs and opportunities. Whether looking at a global, national, local or personal situation, we see much that needs to be done. Thinking about it all can be overwhelming and paralyzing.  It is tempting to think, “I can’t fix everything, so why bother?”

How can the efforts of a single person change anything? Well, the obvious answer to that is to look at individuals throughout history, and even today, whose singular lives changed the world for good or ill.

Perhaps the best example of the changes brought by just one life is Jesus Christ. While I don’t think my feeble efforts can have Christ-like effects, I know from experience that my Christ-like efforts can make a difference.  Focusing on the fruits of the Spirit can change our behaviors and our attitudes, allowing supernatural results to flow from our actions. If we model these qualities in our every response to circumstances and every opportunity to stand for Christ, we may each impact the world in a very profound way.

If every professing Christian were to match their words and actions in all situations with these spiritual fruits, we would see an awakening in the church to rival the first century when Christ’s followers turned the world upside down and changed the lives of every generation to come.