What I Try to Carry Every Day
We all carry things—phones, wallets, keys, to-do lists, burdens. But the most important thing I try to carry with me each day isn’t something that fits in a pocket or purse. It’s something far less visible but far more important: the Fruit of the Spirit.
Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self-control.
That list from Galatians 5 isn’t just a memory verse or a spiritual checklist. It’s a way of being that I want to bring with me into every conversation, every meeting, every interruption. Some days I do better than others. Some days I feel like I’m running on empty. But when I pause and ask the Spirit to guide me, I’m reminded that these aren’t fruits I grow on my own—they’re the evidence of His presence in me.
I try to carry love when someone is hard to love.
Joy when the day gives me every reason to complain.
Peace when anxiety starts whispering in my ear.
Patience when things (and people) move slower than I’d like.
Kindness when the world feels harsh.
Goodness when I could get away with just “good enough.”
Faithfulness when it would be easier to quit.
Gentleness when my words want to get sharp.
And self-control when everything in me wants to react instead of respond.
These fruits won’t show up by accident. They come from intentional time with God, from being rooted in His Word and open to His work in my life. And when I do carry them well, they don’t just change me—they often soften someone else’s day too.
That’s what I want to carry with me. Every day. Everywhere.
Copyright © 2025 Doug DeBolt
