Are You Approachable?

Can you name the Fruit of the Spirit? How many of them do you exemplify in your life? In your day? In the next hour? Let me help you - "But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." (Galatians 5:22-23 NLT).

In the book of Galatians, Paul is trying to get the new believers to see that by exhibiting the characteristics of the Spirit's fruit, people will see God living in them. These fine attributes are only possible with the Spirit's help! Do people see them in you? Do they find you approachable because of them?

Let's look at what an approachable person exhibits: (from The Word for You Today Devotional)

1) Personal warmth - they truly like people. In an old Peanuts cartoon, Charlie Brown says, "I love mankind, it's just people I can't stand!" Hello! It's not enough to love people in theory, you have to generate personal warmth toward those you meet each day.

2) Their moods are consistent. Have you ever worked or lived with someone whose moods are constantly up and down? You never know how they'll be and how they'll respond. In contrast, approachable people are even-keeled and predictable. They're basically the same way every time you see them. Their emotions are peaceful and show self-control.

3) Sensitivity toward people's feelings. Although approachable people are emotionally steady, that doesn't mean they expect others to be that way. They recognize that good people have bad days; consequently they tune their moods to the feelings of others and quickly adjust how they relate to them with kindness and gentleness.

4) Understanding of human weakness and exposure to their own. Novelist Ed Howes said, "Express a mean opinion of yourself occasionally, it will show your friends that you know how to tell the truth!" Approachable people are honest about their abilities and shortcomings. They embrace the proverb which says, "Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused." And because they can admit their own faults, they don't have a problem allowing other people to have faults as well and they do it with patience.

5) The ability to forgive and ask for forgiveness. Author David Augsburger wrote, "Since nothing we attempt is ever without error and nothing we achieve, without some measure of the finitude and fallibility we call humaness, we are saved by forgiveness." Approachable people are able to forgive and be forgiven. Their faithfulness in the power of forgiveness shows itself in their goodness and joy!

How will people see you today? As an approachable person exhibiting love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control? Or a person altogether void of the Spirit's fruit?

As Paul reminded the people of Galatia, as well as us today, "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit's leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another." (Gal. 5:24-26)

BLOG COMMENT: Are there people in your life who you consider "approachable"? Share with us what characteristics they show and how that has helped you grow your own "fruit."