Unravelling My Thoughts

Fruits of the Spirit--Faith

Faith comes both by the Word of God and by the filling of the Holy Spirit, with His many fruits. Uncompromised faith obliterates doubt and fear. This faith is thought to be more than just faith in God, but also in each other. We are to be dependable in our love for one another. We are to surrender our worries, anxieties, and our whole lives to God, and He will give us rest. There is no permanence in godless happiness, for only God has the strength to buffet and take on our trials. I would not try to take on all of my life's trials, for I am weak without Him. I tried, believe me. All of us have tried to handle things in our lives, thinking that we were in control. We figure out, sooner or later, Who is really in control.

Faith vs. Fear  (E) Faith overcomes fear, if you believe it. #864706 by Beth Barnett

People of Sanguine temperament need this fruit to counteract their weaknesses of emotional instability and anger. They also tend to make excuses for their weaknesses and feel as if it won't ever change. They become discouraged. When they let the Lord take over in their lives, they may see how beautiful they really are, for the first time.
They are also indecisive and jump from one project to another without finishing the first. They are great starters, but poor finishers. They are also forgetful, which is both good and bad. They do easily forgive friends, and accept forgiveness readily. But, they often forget appointments and leave their family and friends to worry about them. They depend quite a lot on their outside circumstances to dictate what they will and won't do. When Sanguines are filled the the Holy Spirit, however, they are great encouragers. They are passionate about helping their friends and family. The Apostle Peter in Acts 2 is a great example of a Sanguine on fire for God. Peter's level of faith before the Holy Spirit was released and after was a tremendous change. He was no longer indecisive, because he found where his heart lied.

Cholerics are self-sufficient by nature, but if they are exposed to the God's Word and Spirit early in their lives, they have tremendous, unshakable faith. They see the big picture and are practical in the sense that if God is in control, then He should lead. They are very bold about telling others of their faith. If they are not raised knowing the Lord, however, they become self-sufficient and are as stubborn as a brick wall to convince them that they can't handle all of their own vices. This is why, of course, the Apostle Paul had to be blinded on the road to Damascus. After being robbed of his sight, it was abundantly clear to him that the faith he had in himself could not restore it. He was brought to his knees. Cholerics who surrender to God are powerful leaders, and God uses them in awesome ways. Paul's writings are bold and convicting, yet motivational at the same time. He may seem egotistical in what he writes, but it is what he knows that he boasts about and not his own character. Cholerics are great overcomers, and can thrive in their faith through much persecution. Their faith is as strong as that brick wall I mentioned earlier.

People of Melancholy temperament often anguish over past failures, and ask themselves why they are always victims. This is failure thinking, first of all. It is shows a tremendous lack of faith. Their pessimistic complaints about how awful other people are, and how they could never understand, also shows a lack of faith. When you believe that no one loves you and speak negative all of the time, you reap what you have sown. However, if a Melancholies are filled with the Holy Spirit and constantly study the Word of God, they will realize that no one is perfect, like they often strive on their own to be, and that, without failure, there is no success. I've heard often, "Show me someone who never failed, and I'll show you someone who never succeeded." I cannot remember the original source because I've heard it so much, but if someone knows, let me know. Melancholies will often try to analyze God and His existence though. They want physical proof that they can touch and feel. This is where faith comes in. Faith is believing in the unseen, and knowing that it will seen in God's time. When they are filled with the Holy Spirit, others around them will notice a dramatic positive change in their demeanor. They feel for those who have gone through what they have, and are great at providing a remedy that has worked for them. Their testimonies are emotional and impacting. They remember their past failures, but have been delivered from their anxiety over them. Their circumstances have not changed, but how they view them through their new eyes of faith is completely renewed.

Phlegmatics are often indecisive and sluggish in taking action. We are often shy and avoid confrontation and meeting new people. We are quiet and subdued and fear keeps us wanting to stay inside alone, so that we can put up our walls of defense. This is not faith. Fear and indecision are completely opposite of faith. When we give our entire lives over to the Lord and incorporate the fruits of the Spirit into our lives, you see a powerful change. Phlegmatics are avid observers and listeners. We notice things about other people that they may not see in themselves. Phlegmatics are faithful to friends and family, and we are dependable in our word; this is a strength of the temperament. We do, however, have an issue with trusting new people. This fearful paranoia is done away with by faith. If we believe there will be confrontation, then there will be. If we believe that other people want to hear what we have to say, then they will. Faith builds self-esteem for Phlegmatics, for we doubt our own abilities quite readily. Without faith, without God, we are stumbling in the dark, afraid for our lives in all of our steps. With faith, with God, we are calm and diligent in taking steps that we can't even see. And it is no longer in darkness that we step, but in the Light of God.


Any comments about faith? Any experiences or testimonies you would like to share?