Home Small Group Leaders Articles for Small Group Leaders 9 Gifts Of The Spirit That are Alive, Well & Living Online

9 Gifts Of The Spirit That are Alive, Well & Living Online

There’s a design feature in the masterpiece of creation that gives a planted seed the possibility to grow strong and bear fruit. In the same way the words you post in your network conversations are digital seeds. You point, click, and scatter them daily on a cyber mission field. Each one of them has the potential to travel a trillion megabytes, land somewhere unexpected, take root, grow strong, and bear fruit.

The germination cycle in cyber time is compressed. The span between planting and reaping may be marked by mere seconds. When the Holy Spirit inspires the words you sow, the harvest brings life and the fruit comes wrapped in the fragrance of eternity. Distinctively holy, the fruits of the Spirit are life-giving gifts. When you choose to live life His way and share His Truth online, others experience the fruits of the Spirit alive in the words that flow from you.

Here’s how the 9 extraordinary gifts of the Spirit are alive online…

Love soaks others with an outpouring of affection and a shower of compassion.  It doesn’t discriminate or judge, but enthusiastically announces you’re important and welcome here.

Joy erupts when it appears in comments and posts. \0/. It expresses sincere pleasure, well-being, success, and good fortune.  As it celebrates life,  you experience the irresistible pull to join in the dance.

Peace synchronizes and promotes harmony. Loaded with soft answers, it easily soothes turbulence and supplies the extra oxygen your soul needs to breathe.

Longsuffering presents beautiful transparency. Because it’s already been refined by the pain of heartbreak and disappointment, it extends the hand that reaches out to bring someone to the other side.  Longsuffering compassionately acknowledges the hurt you’re feeling and goes the distance with you.

Kindness warms hearts with charitable behaviors. It oozes with generosity and reaches beyond expected boundaries. Delighting in others, its random and timely appearance in the digital stream shows up just when you need it the most.

Goodness reflects moral excellence, virtue, and unearthly holiness. It refreshes the mind and affirms the heart. When you see it in a status update, your view of life shifts upward. Your heart opens just a little wider and you desire to be more than you are today.

Faithfulness adheres firmly and demonstrates devotion and loyalty to a person, cause, or idea.  It gives evidence that a faithful God is alive. You’ll always receive more than enough digital support to keep on going.

Gentleness assumes a considerate disposition; amiable and tender in all things. It whispers the exact portion of  encouragement required (in 140 characters or less) and inspires you to take the next step in faith.

Self-control masters emotions, behavior, and desires because it’s centered on the reward of heaven. You can count on it to consistently replace ‘me’ with the Almighty ‘Thee.’  It chooses JOY in all things and you instantly want to pick it, too.

He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.

Galatians 5:22-23, The Message

When was the last time you slowed down long enough to review the words in your posts, comments, and blogs?

  • Go back review your past posts, comments, and status updates
  • Ask God to give you a glimpse of the seeds you’ve planted
  • Evaluate how the fruits of the Spirit are at work through you
  • If what you’ve planted or yielded comes up short, settle it now
  • Ask His forgiveness and receive it
  • Recommit every word you speak, share, or post to His authority
  • Thank God, right now, for the grace and power He has to transform you

How do you see the gifts of the Spirit alive online?