BIBLE PASSAGE:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
(Galatians 5:22-23)
MEDITATION:
We might be good at hiding our innermost feelings from others, but when
we experience troublesome times, those feelings can suddenly arise and be
on display for all to see. Think of it as a person carrying a cup of liquid. As
long as they are walking steadily, no one can see what’s in the cup.
But if someone bumps their arm, the contents spill out and others can see
what the cup contains. It’s a good illustration of how our feelings can be on
full display when we are ‘bumped’ with something that disrupts our normal
routines.
In the last days before His crucifixion, Jesus promised an Advocate would be
sent to His disciples (including all today who have surrendered their lives to
the Lord).
But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am
going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not
come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
(John 16:7)
There were two very important reasons for this promise from Jesus.
First of all, the arrival of the Advocate serves as confirmation that
Jesus was in fact, resurrected, and is with our Heavenly Father.
Secondly, the Advocate (aka Holy Spirit) gives us a new perspective
of the world values regarding sin and judgment, and a much greater
appreciation for Godly righteousness.
When he comes, he will prove the world to be in
the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment.
(John 16:8)
We can think of an advocate as a supporter – someone who is with us,
and for us. We can also think of an advocate as a ‘sentinel’ – someone
someone who constantly reminds us of God’s words and principles,
and guides us in applying them to our own lives.
Our Advocate is the Holy Spirit and He works to instill certain qualities
and characteristics in our lives. The Bible provides us with a list of those
Godly qualities in Galatians. Why are we given this list? They are our
measurements for determining the degree of our surrender to the Lord.
When the ‘fruit of the spirit’ is active and flourishing in our lives, we
become better people who can enjoy living more righteously, which is
a witness to others of our love, commitment and dedication to serving
our Lord; we communicate to others that Jesus is Lord of our lives.
We might look at the list and think,
“I have some of those characteristics, so I’m doing okay”
However, God doesn’t give us a smorgasbord of Godly characteristics
so we can ‘pick and choose’ the ones we like and ignore the other ones.
God wants our total commitment. If He gave us the option to choose,
which ones could we leave out? None, right?
If we are missing some of these characteristics, then we have failed in
allowing the Holy Spirit to have full control of our lives. If the Holy
Spirit has not been given complete control, we have not fully yielded
to the Lord, have we?
If we are still trying to remain in control, we will have conflict and
turmoil, because our human nature urges us to do wrong, while our
conscience prompts us to do right. It creates a continual spiritual
battle for us, as each of these urges strive for control of our lives.
This continual struggle can cause physical and emotional unrest.
If we are lacking some of the characteristics, it is an indication that
we still have selfish pride and believe we can become more righteous
without God’s help. Some feel they shouldn’t ‘bother’ God, so they
decide to ‘free Him up’ for other things by handling the character
changes themselves.
In their minds, it may seem like an admirable gesture, but it’s arrogant
pride, which God detests. Look at the top item on the list of things He
hates (‘haughty’ is defined as arrogantly superior and disdainful).
There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable
to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent
blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick
to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person
who stirs up conflict in the community.
(Proverbs 6:16-19)
We can see that the Lord wants us to be dependent on Him, instead of
being independent and relying on ourselves. Why? Because we don’t
have the capability to adequately reject sin and embrace righteousness.
We can see Paul’s dependence as he cried out to the Lord.
What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from
this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God,
who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
(Romans 7:24-25a)
ACTION:
Love (affection and concern for others; self-denial; self-sacrificing).
Joy (feelings of pleasure and happiness – as a member of God’s family).
Peace (calm; not quarrelsome).
Patience (tolerant; not rude; patiently enduring).
Kindness (warmhearted; caring and considerate).
Goodness (commendable; ready to do good; love in action).
Faithfulness (loyal; dependable; obedient).
Gentleness (mild in manner; worthy of love and affection).
Self-control (self-disciplined; obedient; not impulsive).
Questions to consider:
– Is the Holy Spirit living in me?
– Do I have love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control in my life?
– Which of these identifying characteristics of believers is missing in
my life, and what will I do about it? Will I try to develop them myself
(independent pride), or will I call out to the Lord for help (dependence).
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for sending the Holy Spirit to those who
are followers of Jesus. Forgive me if I have failed to allow the Spirit
to have full control of my life. I know that the fruits of the Spirit are
good for me and will have a positive impact on those around me. Help
me to embrace the fruits and to embellish them in my life. Your Spirit
is fully capable of adequately controlling my innermost feelings, so I’m
asking You to help me trade my independence for a dependence on You.
Thank You for the changes You will be making in me.”
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