Enhance My Virtues

Last Sunday was Pentecost, a time that reminded me of the Holy Spirit’s arrival and power. It also reminded me the Fruit of the Spirit, described in Galatians 5, a set of nine virtues that grow in us through the work of the Holy Spirit:

• Love

• Joy

• Peace

• Patience

• Kindness

• Goodness

• Faithfulness

• Gentleness

•  And Self-control

  
  

Years ago, I sat in a Sunday school class where we were asked to compare our spiritual knowledge to educational levels, from pre-K to PhD. Most of us placed ourselves in the lower grades, a humbling reminder of how far we had to grow.

That memory inspired me to consider:

What if we rated ourselves from 1 to 10 on each of these fruits?

What might that reveal?

Rating myself invites honest self-examination. I often assume I’m doing “fine,” but growth begins when I admit where I’m not. Self-rating reveals spiritual and relational blind spots.

“What I don’t know, I don’t know, can keep me stuck. But what I see, I can surrender and shape.”

If I rate myself low in patience or self-control, I could respond with shame. But instead, I see it as a starting point. It shifts my mindset from perfection to transformation.

Rather than vague intentions like “I want to be a better person,” I can set focused goals:

“I want to grow from a 3 to a 5 in gentleness by practicing how I respond when I feel misunderstood.”

As I cultivate these fruits, I’ve noticed:

• More peace in my relationships

• Greater clarity in emotional responses

• A softer heart, toward others and myself

• And Influence through Christlike presence

Self-rating is not about judgment. It's a tool for deepening my walk with God and becoming more of who I was created to be.

Watch for the blind spots.

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