The fruit of the Spirit (V) kindness

Some of the qualities of a kind person include being warmhearted, compassionate, understanding, generous with their substance and time, considerate, someone who has reigned in, to some extent, in the rampant selfishness that seems to be the default of our fallen human nature. These are qualities that need to be developed, if they exist at all, and I am grateful this morning that it is part of the fruit the Spirit wants to facilitate in our lives. It comes as we stay vitally connected to Him (John 15:5). Certainly we have a part to play, but I don’t see fruit trees striving to produce fruit!

We can compare being kind, with being nice. Though certainly there are similarities between the two, there are also differences. Perhaps a little over simplistically, being nice is said to be about being polite and treating others well, whereas being kind is said to be when you care about people and show it. In fact kindness is part of the cluster of qualities (longsuffering, kindness, goodness - Galatians 5:22) that have more to do with the inner life, than with the external. We can be nice without being kind. I can for example, be a people pleaser out of fear or self interest, trying to manipulate others. And we can also be kind without being thought of as nice.

For me, the prime example of the latter case can be found in the story of the rich your ruler (Matthew 19:16-22). Asking what he needed to do to earn eternal life, and feeling he had kept all the commandments, Jesus told him “If you want to be perfect go and sell all that you have and give to the poor.” We read the young man went away sad because he had great riches. To some Jesus was being very harsh, but the “because” in what Jesus said gives the clue to why He said what He did. It seems that this young man’s riches were what he trusted in. In other words his riches were an idol, and Jesus was in fact being kind, because trust in anything other than Him keeps us from life both in the here and now, and in eternity. It seems worth noting, that we are not told the ultimate decision of this young man, only his initial response!

Father, sometimes some of the things that You require of us seem very hard (Luke 9:23). But there is no-one kinder than You, and I have come to believe that You always have our best interest at heart. I want to thank You for this and also that You always leave us room (as with the parable of the two sons Matthew 21:28-31), to wrestle with the things You require of us. Truly You are a good and kind Father, and I want to be like You. In Jesus Name Amen

The fruit of the Spirit (IV) longsuffering

The fourth aspect of what the Spirit grows within us when we are vitally connected to the Lord, is long-suffering (NKJV), patience (NIV). The word can also mean endurance, constancy, steadfastness, perseverance; especially as shown in bearing troubles and ills. It also has the aspect of slowness in avenging wrongs (Thayer). James tells us, that patience is produced in the furnace of trials and temptations, when we “count it all joy” (James 1:2). And it seems to me, that this patience, long-suffering follows on the heels of the love, joy and peace that the Spirit is producing within us.

Apart from Jesus, the character in Scripture who for me most exemplifies these virtues , is Joseph. Betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, wrongly accused and languishing in jail, he at every step wins the favour of those who have influence over him. Then at the end when the tables are turned, and he could easily have taken revenge on his brothers, he tells them “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good,” and he forgives them (Genesis 37- 50).

I suspect that most of us would be more than happy to receive the love, joy and peace that the Spirit produces. But in order for us to receive patience, to become long-suffering, that part of us that wants to get even needs to die (Galatians 5:24). And part of the change of mind that needs to come with repentance, is to start to see the beauty of this aspect of the fruit of the Spirit. In particular while the world says “Don’t get mad, get even,” a follower of Jesus needs to say “Father forgive them” (Luke 23:34), even when we know jolly well that they know what they are doing!

Father, Your word tells us, that while we were still sinners, shaking our fist in your face and defying You in every way, You died for us (Romans 5:8). And as they drove cruel spikes through Your hands and Your feet Lord Jesus, You forgave them. We need Your help this morning Lord, I do, to come to the place where we are offence-proof. And in this way more and more, we will reflects the beauty of the Lord as the fruit of Your Spirit grows in us. Thank You Lord that You are more than willing to give us this, as we surrender to You Lord, in Jesus Name Amen

The fruit of the Spirit (III) Peace

Into the pain, chaos and trauma of life Jesus offers “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you” (John 14:27). And as with love and joy, peace is given as a gift, but is also something we need to war over to keep. The basic principle is that is that God will not do for us, what we can do for ourselves. So often, in the pain chaos and trauma we are helpless, and at such points He invites us “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your soul. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

Note in this passage that we have a part to play. Well first of all we have to come to Him, but then in order to stay in rest, we need to take His yoke upon us, and we need to learn. I had experienced His rest and peace at the time of my conversion. It was very real, but I still had my old sinful appetites, and I was in danger of yielding to the temptation to go back to my old life. As I started to walk away it was if He was saying “You can go there Phil, but you cannot stay in rest and peace if you do.” And as I continued to walk away, the pain, chaos and trauma would start to return, and I would run back into His peace and rest being willing to do anything to stay there. I was learning to take His yoke upon me and to learn of Him!

And part of what I learnt is that when I am in danger of losing my peace, I usually work the passage in Philippians 4:4- 7. This starts with the command to rejoice and ends with the promise that the peace that passes all understanding will guard and keep my heart in Christ Jesus. By working the passage I mean that I may need to repent for not obeying the command to rejoice, or for not being thankful, or because of my prayerlessness (verse 6) and/or lack of trust. When things are particularly bad, I may need to work this passage several times in the process of riding my heart of the things that hinder.

Father, as I think about these things this morning, I am realizing once again that it's all about relationship with You. The point in asking me to take Your yoke upon me and to learn of You, is all about You, as a loving Father, having my very best interest at heart. If all else fails, read the instructions! Thank You for Your Word that instructs me and brings me closer day by day, to life in all its fullness. And I give You honour and glory and praise in Jesus Name Amen

The fruit of the Spirit (II) Joy

I remember years ago in the aftermath of the breakup of my first marriage and before I came to the Lord, dating an insightful young woman. I was presenting a brave and jovial face to her and the world, embodying the proverb “Even in laughter the heart may be sorrowful” (Proverbs 14:13). She saw beyond my mask, and when she commented “Some people who seem really happy are actually really quite sad,” I broke off the relationship! It was just too close to home! And having been there, I see this all over the place. Truly “joy is withered away from the sons of men” (Joel 1:12). We have so much in the West, we are more connected (in one sense) than we have ever been, but the overarching sense I have is of loneliness, shallow relationships and joyless mirth!

I am not sure our culture has a clue of what joy really is, it is not the same as happiness. When I googled this, the very first thing I got was “Joy and happiness are wonderful feelings to experience, but are very different. ... It (joy) comes when you make peace with who you are, why you are and how you are, whereas happiness tends to be externally triggered and is based on other people, things, places, thoughts and events.” I fully agree, and I need to admit that for the first twenty years of my Christian walk, I did not know who I was. I am talking about Biblical knowing. I could have spouted the true doctrine that I am a child of God. I knew this in my head, but not in my heart. I was driven to find my significance, and I tried to find it in what I did for the Lord. It was not working, and I see now that this drivenness was a major contributor to the breakdown of my second marriage!

In the furnace of the rejection, isolation, dishonour and blame (everybody “knew” it was all my fault) that followed, I eventually “found” a deeper relationship with the Lord. But actually, He was seeking that deeper relationship from the start. And I found it, not in spite of it all I was going through, but rather because of it. First and foremost I needed to slow down and smell the roses. Gradually with His constant wooing I allowed Him into my pain and distress, and in doing so knowing that I am His beloved child moved from my head, to my heart. And I am learning to do my part (see James 1:2ff) in facilitating receiving His joy as part of the fruit of a vital Spirit connection with the lover of my soul.

Father, I don’t know if there is any other way for the fruit of Your Spirit to manifest in our lives, than the way of the cross. But it is true Lord Jesus, that as I follow Your example seeking to despise my cross and to push through the pain, I find I am entering into Your joy (Hebrews 12:2). Lord there are so many that I know and love who need Your joy, and I pray for them this morning that they too may find not only joy, but also Your love and Your peace as they pursue a deeper relationship with You. I pray these things in Your precious Name Amen

The fruit of the Spirit (I) is Love

Last day, I was talking about the conditions for growth, for a tree (well us actually) to produce fruit. The next few days I will be talking about the fruit of the Spirit, what it is, and what is our part in making sure the conditions are right for it to grow. In particular since love is part of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), then it is both something the Spirit does. But it is also something that is commanded. For example Jesus tells us “Love one another as I have loved you" (John 15:12).

When I was 16, and while I still did not belong to the Lord, I heard Him, not audibly of course, but clearly, and for the first time. And what He said was “Why are you running away from me Phil, all I want you to do is to love for me?” I knew it was Him, I have no idea how I knew it was Him, but I did know! And what I said to Him was “Well I don’t need you for that!” In my naivety, I had no idea how wrong I was. For me at that time, love was nothing but a feeling, and I felt a lot of love. What I did not realize, was how easily my “love” could turn to hate when things went wrong. I had not read “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs” (1 Corinthians 13:4, 5).

Not that long ago, someone and I know and love told me “I didn’t realize how selfish I was until I got married.” The dream that most of us have in our naïveté, that we will live happily ever after, too easily turns into a nightmare. And in particular in order for a marriage to survive, our selfishness needs to die. Paul talks about this in the very same contexts as this morning’s verse. What he says is “Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:24). In particular we cannot be full of the love that the Spirit provides, when we are full of self!

Father, I am reminded again this morning that You are the source of love (1 John 4:19), and our lack of love, my lack of love, is there to remind us how very much we need to stay vitally connected to You by Your Spirit. But there is no condemnation here Lord, even though in many things I fail (Romans 8:1; James 3:2). And I feel no condemnation this morning Lord, only joy as I once again commit and surrender to You. Thank You for Your love Lord, and that in You, and in You alone, there is life and health and peace in Jesus Name Amen

He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit

As a boy, I used to think that Jesus was so clever to be able to use things in nature to teach spiritual truths. Then later I discovered that He is far more clever than I though, because it struck me that He created the World in such a way that the physical would in fact be living parables of the spiritual. So in relation to this instruction to abide in John 15:5, I googled conditions for a tree to bear fruit. I learned that there are four things that are essential for plant growth light, water, temperature and nutrients. And I wanted to apply this to help us understand what it means to abide.

So first of all then we are told if we walk in the light as He is in the light we will have fellowship (abide) with one another and with Him (1 John 1:3,7). It’s about becoming holy as He is holy (1 Peter 1:6), and then letting our light manifest itself in doing good (Matthew 5:16). In terms of water, we are to be washed by the water of the Word (Ephesians 5:26). And in fact the Word teaches us about the light, it shows us when we are walking in darkness, it shows us how to get back into the light, and it shows us how to abide in the light (2 Timothy 3:16).

Newfoundland is not known for it’s hot summers, and I have not has a lot of success with my strawberry plants. Part of this is that there are too many trees in my garden (not enough light), but it can be cold here too. Jesus tells us that He would rather we were hot or cold, because when we are lukewarm He wants to spit us our of His mouth (Revelation 3:16). It is so inappropriate to be anything less than passionate for Him. Then lastly the nutrients. Well we are nourished in fellowship. Paul could say “We were gentle among you, as a nursing mother nourishing her children” (1 Thessalonians 2:7), and in fact Christ Himself nourishes and cherishes us, the church (Ephesians 5:29).

Father, more and more I see You everywhere, in nature and in each other. We are image bearers and even in the most corrupt, we remain bearers of that image. I want to see others Lord as You see them. In fact Paul states boldly “From now on, then, we do not know anyone from a worldly perspective” (2 Corinthians 5:16). So help us Lord, help me, and to see others as You see them, and You see us all as amazing in Jesus Name Amen

The heavens declare the glory of God (Psalm 19:1)

Ruth Fazal tells of being on a beach in England gazing up in awe at the night sky, when she sensed the Lord’s presence, and Him saying to her “Do you like it?” I also remember being in awe over a sunset years ago in Toronto. It filled the sky from horizon to horizon with dazzling reds and purples and oranges. And as I stood there transfixed by the glory of it, a man came out of the same building, glanced up casually at the night sky, shrugged and went on as if nothing spectacular was happening. And I was caused to wonder then, and again this morning, at how easily we seem to lose our sense of wonder, our sense awe.

As a young child, and into my early teens I knew God existed. He was with me with what I would only later recognizes a difficult childhood. But as I “matured” I wanted to do what I wanted to do, and my certainty of God’s existence somehow faded. The Bible puts it this way, we suppress the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18). It was as if the existence of a righteous God was somehow inconvenient, and I went my merry way. Well not so merry actually, we eventually reap what we sow, and it was the inability of my being unable to deal with the consequences of my poor choices that eventually lead me back to Him!

In the same Chapter as above, Paul tells us that the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, so that we are without excuse (Romans 1:20). And it struck me this morning, how very much we lose (I lost), when we seek to excuse and a rationalize away the existence of an inconvenient God. I lost not only my sense of awe, but I also lost my joy and peace, and I discovered the shallowness what I at one time thought was a lot of love. In fact it was all about me, I had turned inward and become but a pale image of what He created me to be. And I thank God this morning that with Him we have second, third and fourth chances!

Father, I want to thank You this morning for the perhaps overused image of salvation as the new birth. In particular I want to thank You that with You, we can always start over, so that old things are passed away and all things are becoming new (2 Corinthians 5:17). I am not yet what I want to be, but I thank You this morning that I am not what I once was. All the glory for the change belongs to You, and it is my desire Lord that it not just be the heavens that declare Your glory, but that my life declare Your glory too. Let it be Lord, in Jesus Name Amen