How to Identify a Duck
In general, if I see a duck, I know it is a duck. There is a saying about how you know if something is what you think it is: “If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.”
In the book of Proverbs, similar word pictures are used. One such image is a city without walls or broken walls. In Solomon’s day, a city without walls or with broken walls was an invitation for disaster. Even today, my wife and I have locks on our doors, locks on our Ford Escapes, and SimpliSafe monitors on all of our doors. It is prudent. We don’t live in fear, but we don’t want disaster either.
How to Identify a Follower of Jesus
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Galatians 5:22-24 This is not saying that Christians do not sin. This is saying that you should notice a change in behavior when someone claims to be a Christian, or a “Baptist”, or a whatever denomination. Saying you are a disciple of Jesus means you will be (or should be) remarkably different.
Christians are being transformed so that they aren’t what they were before Jesus was their Savior. The Spirit’s fruit brings blessings and protections. What does this all have to do with today’s word, “broken?” The Proverb I was thinking about gives the answer. The benefit of self-control is that you avoid many different disasters. You reduce the likelihood of relationship disasters, career disasters, parenting disasters, and financial disasters. If you have self-control, you are protected by the Spirit’s common sense SimpliSafe system.
“A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.” Proverbs 25:28
Five Minute Friday
This post is part of the weekly Five Minute Friday link-up.
All scripture passages are from the English Standard Version except as otherwise noted.
Know Your Flocks & Herds 
This is so true! I’ve only been a Christian for a few months and yet I’m noticing a difference already. The difference the Holy Spirit brings about is even more remarkable in my husband, who is rarely irritated now. I still am, though less so than I was, but I trust I will be transformed through Jesus. FMF #10
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So true! We need to keep striving to be like Jesus and the natural fruit will be a change in character—and that change in character will heal our broken records and our broken walls. It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen!
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I do not want to be that broken person in Proverbs.
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They’ll know we are Christians by our love ♥️🎵
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“Christians are being transformed so that they aren’t what they were before Jesus was their Savior.” This says it all! I have been a Christian for almost 50 years now and I still see the transformation process almost daily. Great post!! FMF#17
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I wondered where you were going with the duck scenario and you pulled it all together nicely. 🙂 FMF5
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I look at the fruit of the spirit as stages of how God works in my life. Love and joy as a new Christian. Patience during toddler years. I would say each fruit of the spirit when angry with my kid, then say ten and once more for good measure.
Goodness and faithfulness as a valued service to others and my church. Instead of the art of war, the art of peace in teaching diplomacy between my kids and students at school. The gentleness and kindness in my speech sometimes was a significant fail after a rough day at school. Self-control is to learn to live by faith and not by emotions. I also see each fruit of the spirit, if applied to various periods in our history, how different the outcome would be. The last fruit of the spirit being self-control which is lost in America today. The harshness of the me-generation that their speech lack a gentle tone hiding behind social media. The church in the sixties and seventies that sleep through such turmoil and let their faithfulness slip away. The cruelty and meanness of WWII and WWI. It makes me wonder if events in history are designed for us to recognize the necessity of God’s spirit to heal our land.
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