'09...them changes (Part III)....the final...finally!

C.) I want to work towards Christ-likeness, specifically in developing the fruit of the spirit described in Galatians 5-love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. All the life-change objectives I've listed to this point intertwine, affect, and are affected by this giant goal.
Love, as a growing personal trait (from a very tiny seed), will only come from regular, habitual seeking God, immersion in His word, and asking Him to develop love in me.
Joy comes through increasing my belief and reliance on His promises, and recognizing the eternal nature of those promises, as compared to the temporal things in life that promise joy, but rob it. Pain, disappointment, ailments, struggles, burdens, drudgery wick away joy unless we focus on the reality that because of Christ, those things will pass and ultimately be replaced by complete joy in His followers.
Peace, like joy, is a mindset strengthened by learning to see the world's definitions of success and achievement and meaningful living as frauds! [See earlier post "Sanctuary" and the wisdom of my son on this matter.]
Patience, sorely missing in my personal schematic must, like love, come through the gifting of God. When He speaks, though, I must hear!
Kindness sure isn't instinctive in me, nor is gentleness. And self-control is foreign.
Faithfulness seems more reachable than these others -but as I think about the implications of faithfulness--to what?--to whom?--all the time?--it too, will never develop into an element of my makeup without help.
Soooo, the summary of this particular life-change is...I must spend more time in the company and counsel of those in whom fruit is evident, and daily seek the Savior's help- through the Spirit-in developing this very different nature. It occurs to me, just now as I write this, that I should rewrite my '09 manifesto-dividing it into nine segments-1. Love, 2. Joy, 3. Peace, 4.Patience, 5.Kindness, 6.Goodness, 7.Faithfulness, 8.Gentleness 9.Self-control. All the previously enumerated goals will, by default, become realities if this one stays in focus. It's kind of like God has provided us with a template for resolutions-at any point on the calendar-in Galatians 5. Hmmm....
jls