The Last Fruit of the Spirit

Well, what do you know! We have finally made it to the last Fruit of the Spirit - self-control. This fruit is no less important than all the others. It is so important that we are constantly working on cultivating each of the nine fruits in our lives (I believe there's nine...yes, I just sang it in my head.  My mom had a song for the Fruit of the Spirit as well).  

Back to self-control.  If you were to ask me what self-control is my mind would instantly think back to when my siblings and I were little. We would often get rowdy and we could never keep our hands to ourselves.  Mom would say: "Show me what self-control looks like." We would fold our hands together (like you do when your praying) and place them in our lap.  It forced us to have to resist the temptation to be loud and out-of-control.  And that's basically what self-control is - not giving into temptation. It's having the will power to be able to say no.

Self-control not only deals with physical temptations but all types of temptations. Temptations relating to food, thoughts, money, relationships and so on.  Talking about temptation I have to share with you my favorite verse about temptation.  1 Corinthians 10:13 is such a comforting verse when you are dealing with temptation.  "No temptation  has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it."  

We are all tempted.  Lots of times it feels like there is a battle going on inside my head.  My desires battle against what I know is the right thing to do.  If you want to know something about me I've always been really self-disciplined.  It's built into my personality.  I set my mind to do something and it gets done (well, most of the time at least).  But I'm still just like everyone else.  I make bad choices and give into my desires only to end up feeling horrible for letting temptation win.  

We all struggle with learning how to have self-control. Good news is there is a remedy. There is something that we can do to help us learn to have self-control in our lives.  When temptations come we need to be prepared with truth.  Have verses memorized to remind you to keep your eye's focused on God.  A good one when you are dealing with your thoughts is Philippians 4:8 
"Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things."   

1 Corinthians 10:31 is a good verse to have on hand when you are trying to determine whether to say 'yes' to something or if you should say 'no.'  
"Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all for the glory of God."  
If it glorifies God. go for it! If it doesn't. you might want to rethink it.

The more you say 'no' to your sinful desires the easier it will be for you to have self-control.  
With God's help each day, you can learn to say 'no' to temptation and you will grow in your walk with God.  

Sadly, this brings me to the end of my writings on the Fruit of the Spirit.   I've learned so much (and I hope you have too).  Most of my inspiration for my writing came from A Young Women's Walk with God by Elizabeth George.  I read this book for my morning devotions and I enjoyed it very much. If you ever get the chance it's a great read. 

Oh, and one more thing.  So now that I'm all done with writing about the Fruit of the Spirit I got a t-shirt to help me remember all that I've learned.  

My dad bought this shirt for me a few days ago, but I haven't worn it yet because I wanted to wait until I finished my last post on the Fruit of the Spirit.  I love new shirts and prefer to wear them a soon as possible...but I was able to show self-control and not wear my t-shirt right away (Ha! Victory!).  I'm so happy now because I can finally wear my new shirt!

Gentleness

When we (meaning me and my three siblings) were little my Mom used to put Bible verses to song to help us learn them. I have forgotten most of them but a few I can still remember and even sing still. One of the songs I can still remember happens to be about gentleness.  I remember it very well, because apparently we struggled with being gentle with each other so much that Mom was constantly reminding us of this verse.

It went: 

"Gentle words make peace...

 but harsh words stir up trouble!" 

And when you get to harsh words you pretend to stir a big pot (well, at least that's what I remember doing). And I'm sure we had a hand motion for the gentle words part but I don't remember it.  It must not have been as fun as pretending to stir a pot. 

So what comes to your mind when you think of gentleness? How can you, as a godly young women, have a life characterized by gentleness?  From the verse I shared above, which is Proverbs 15:1, we see that gentleness has a lot to do with our words towards others.  This verse is pretty straight forward, okay.  Gentle words make peace, and harsh words make trouble.  Yet due to our sinful nature we often find ourselves responding to others with harsh words, which results in, you know - trouble.

Every day with the help of God's Spirit within us we must strive to use gentle words.  You will find that when we are not always so set on having things our way but instead respond with gentle and encouraging words and when we are open to the ideas of others we become what you might call peacemakers.  In the beatitudes Jesus talks about peacemakers.  Mathew 5:9 says; "Blessed our the peacemakers for theirs is the kingdom of God."

All this talking about using gentle words reminds me of something else my Mom often told us when we were quarreling. My Mom loved to use the quote from "Bambi" when Thumper recalled what his Dad had told him; "If you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all."  It's true.  I've learned that sometimes the gentlest response is just to not say anything.

Also, I want to share 1 Peter 3:3-4; "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight."

In God's eyes a gentle and quiet spirit is very precious.  To me someone who has a gentle and quiet spirit is someone who finds their true comfort in God.  Someone who, when troubles come their way, remains calm through it all.  Someone's whose inner beauty outshines that of their outer beauty 

Cultivating this heart of gentleness is not easy.  In the eyes of others it may look like weakness.  It is not.  Rather it requires greatest of strength to obtain a spirit of gentleness.

When you are hurt, confused, or upset, remember God wants you to remain calm without complaining or saying anything harsh back.  Think of Jesus on the cross suffering for your sins.  He never once cried out in anger or complained.  He demonstrated to us perfectly what it means to have a gentle and quiet spirit amidst suffering.  So as you go through life keep you eyes fixed on Jesus' perfect example.  Follow Jesus' example and God will fill you with a spirit of Gentleness.

Faithfullness ~ Just Do It

I always find it neat how God often sends certain circumstances in our lives to help us learn. And then when God does it to me I find myself confused and frustrated and even a little upset at Him. But in the end I know God's in control and this small 'trial' has been an invaluable learning experience for me. But I will tell you about my 'hard time' in a moment.  First I want to talk about Faithfulness.

So what is Faithfulness?  Well, we look to God and see that God is faithful.  Throughout the whole Bible we see the story of God's faithfulness to His people.  So what does it look like to be defined as someone who is faithful? Someone who is faithful is someone who is dependable, honest, loyal, trustworthy...you get the idea.  Someone whose 'yes' mean yes and whose 'no' means no (James 5:12). Someone who sticks to their words, and follows through with their plans whatever the circumstances (well, maybe there are some circumstances that would cause you to have to cancel, like getting sick...).

It may be hard sometimes to be faithful. Everyday I am plagued with tiredness and laziness, oh and the worst of them all, procrastination.  Aren't we all pros in the art of procrastination. Most of the time I would rather stay in bed and be on my computer than get up and do something.  

Sometimes we make promises or plans that we realized after the fact aren't going to be easy to keep. And I know from experience that though it may seem easy for you to make excuses to get out of an obligation you have with someone it inflicts so much pain and disappointment on whoever it was you made plans with.  I've been on the receiving end of this situation too many times to count.  (I would actually suggest being upfront and honest when you begin making plans.  Don't come up with an excuse last minute, let your friend know right off that it may not work out but you will do your best to make it work.)

Ways you can be faithful in your everyday life can be as simple as getting your homework done on time, being diligent in reading your Bible everyday, being a reliable and dependable friend, and faithfully attending church every week.  What really helps is to make a schedule of things you need to get done.  I find that when I have a written list of things to do I'm less likely to forget and am more motivated to get things done.

Okay, so we talked a lot about faithfulness.  Now here's the part where I get to share with you what God has been teaching me about faithfulness.  So in the past two days I've had three major disappointments. One right after another. 

I've been wanting to bring my friend to the camp where I work and we've been planning it for a while. Then the day before she told me that it wasn't going to work out.  Then the morning I was going into work I woke up with a fever and horrible sore throat and ended up not being able to go into work. That was a huge bummer for me 'cause I love my job so much. It's a seasonal job so I missed out on the last trip of the season; and who likes being sick and feeling miserable the entire day.  Then, as if that wasn't enough, the next day I was still sick and I wasn't able to go to my friend's graduation. Yeah, I was really frustrated and disappointed.  I didn't understand why God was causing all these things to happen to me.

Well, after I got over the upset/frustrated phase and accepted the fact that there was nothing I could do because I had no control over the situation, I knew that God was in control. That comforted me. And in this situation where I felt like being upset and angry I had to choose to trust that God knew what He was doing and it was for my benefit.  Romans 8:28 was a comfort to me;  "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."

So what does my experience have to do with faithfulness?  It's been a miserable few days for me but I didn't let that get in the way with my relationship with God.  When I felt like I had enough energy I read my Bible and I spent time in prayer with God while I rested on the couch.  I chose to persevere and to endure my trial even though it didn't make sense to me why I was going through it.  I kept my attitude positive (okay, I'm not perfect, I was grumpy and whiny a few times, but my aim was to remain positive.)  Even through it was hard, I stayed faithful to God because I know God is faithful to me even when I don't always understand His plan for my life.

I also want to be faithful to always keep my promises and plans I make with others because it really hurt when my friend told me last minute that she couldn't come to camp with me.  

So, I hope that by me sharing with you my experience it will help you to grow.  Each day is a struggle to do the right thing.  Each day it is especially a struggle for me to just let go and to let God lead because He's in control, not me.  Now it's your chance to make the decision to push past whatever it is that is distracting you (tiredness, laziness, procrastination...) and to just do it.  To be that one faithful person who everyone can rely on and trust.  To be known for your dependability and honesty.  There's no better time to start being faithful then right now.

Goodness ~ Doing Everything

Now for goodness, or what I like to call 'kindness in action.'  So we learned that kindness is when we set our minds to doing good to others.  Well, goodness is when we actually do it. Goodness is the next step in how we treat others by turning our 'kind' thoughtful intentions into actions.  Goodness does everything it possibly can to serve others and to shower God's love and blessings on those around us.

Goodness, like all the other Fruits of the Spirit is a choice.  We can choose to be nice and do good things to others or we can choose to not do anything.  James 2:17 says  "In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." Goodness, or good deeds, is part of how we share our faith. In other words, if there is no goodness showing forth from our lives than we should be concerned for our salvation. And at the same time goodness and good deeds cannot save you. Only by believing in Christ Jesus who died on the cross to save you and turning from your sins can you be saved. And if you truly are saved then goodness should be evident in your life.

As we grow and desire more and more to follow Jesus our lives will be defined by the fruits we bear.   Imagine a garden. Patience is like a seed under the soil, not seen.  Often it seems that the seed is doing nothing, but unbeknownst to the observers the seed is growing.  And what is growing from that seed is kindness. Kindness begins to grow and wants to push itself up and out from underneath the soil.  Thus goodness blossoms forth.  Goodness and its work of love to others bless all who see it.

I think it is amazing how each fruit of the spirit builds on each other.  I used to always think that they all were their own separate virtue but I've come to realize that there is even a reason for the order they are in.  How amazing God is!  I find that the more you study a certain part of His word, the more He reveals to you.    

So that is pretty much all I have to say about goodness.  I challenge you now to let kindness show forth in your life through acts of goodness towards others.  

Note: the garden example is from the book "A Young Women's Walk  with God" by Elizabeth George.  I worded it in my own words but it is not my original idea.  I loved the idea so much I just had to share it.

Kindness ~ Doing Something

So we saw how patience is learning to do nothing when you are mistreated by others.  The next step after you have learned patience is to be kind.

Kindness always make me think of the new Cinderella movie.  That movie displays very well what it truly means to be kind.  I have to say, I was really impressed with the message since it's a Disney movie.

Okay, back to kindness.  First off, what is kindness.  Kindness is having a sincere desire for the well-being of others.  In other words, it's our awareness of the needs of others around us.  But, unlike patience, which does nothing, kindness plans to act.  Kindness looks at a situation and asks questions like; "Who needs love right now?" "How can I help this person?"  "Who can I say something nice to today?"

So we see that kindness is a state of the mind.  It is a matter of the heart.  It's our attitude toward how we view others.

You may be wondering how you can have this kind of heart attitude.  Here are some tips to help you cultivate kindness in your life.

Caring for others and paying attention to the needs of those around you will grow your love for others.  As will praying for others. Praying for others is such an amazing thing to do.  It is through praying for others that God turns your focus on yourself into concern for others.  

Thinking is also a part of kindness.  When you start to care about others you will start thinking of different ways you can help them. Purpose to think about others as you go about your day.

Another important aspect of kindness is noticing.  To often we choose to 'not see' the needs of those around us. But God has given us wonderful observing skills and God wants us to take note of others around us and of their needs.  

By caring for, thinking of, and noticing the needs of the people around us we are creating for ourselves a new attitude.  One that is full of kindness.  And you are then ready for the next step.

Are you beginning to see how patience and kindness fit together like a glove?  First we must have patience not to respond in a mean way and by not responding we are given the chance to take to heart and notice the needs of the person who has offended us.  Next is what I like to call kindness in action ~ goodness.  And that is the next fruit of the spirit.

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others." Philippians 2:3-4

Note: I'm sorry if this post seems short or rushed, or if there are any typo's I failed to notice. This week I'm going to be very, very, busy and I really wanted to post something before the busyness starts.  So I wrote this post really quick.  

Patience ~ Doing Nothing

So, I actually found the time to write the next part in my Fruit of the Spirit series.  Yay! I hope you enjoy it ;)

After love, joy, and peace come patience, kindness, and goodness. Where love, joy, and peace are all primarily about our heart attitude; patience, kindness, and goodness are about how we are to treat others. For now though, we are just going to focus on patience.

You may be thinking you know what it means to be patient.  It's when you have to wait for something and it requires you to be patient. It's something you probably hated when you were little and still hate now that you're older.  Yes, waiting does require patience but that definition is hardly scraping the surface of the meaning of patience. Consider the verse below:

"I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,..." Ephesians 4:1-2

"...with patience, bearing with one another in love." What does this mean?  Paul is urging us to live our lives in unity with those around us.  So patience obviously effects how we interact with others.  So what exactly does it mean to be patient with others?

It means when others wrong you or are mean to you God wants you to do nothing.  He doesn't want you to react if that means you are going to say something critical or mean back. By doing nothing we have the time to think, to pray, to reflect, to ask for advice, and to plan to respond in a 'kind' way.  We need to remember that God has shown us, sinners who don't deserve God's grace, patience even though we continue to fail Him everyday.  And God wants us to be patient when we find ourselves being treated unfairly.  I think of the parable in Matthew 18 about the unmerciful servant who after having his own debts canceled failed to be patient with his own servant.  Knowing that God is patient with us should stir us on to be patient with others.

And if we get down to the roots of why we feel like we always have to say something in return it is often because we think we are better than the other person.  But we are all sinners in God's eyes and by being mean back we are not being a very good example to unbelievers.

So patience is simply having the strength to do nothing when you find yourself being treated unfairly by others.  So is it really that simple?  Simple to understand, yes; simple to do, not really.  We need God's help, and only with the power of the Holy Spirit within us can we be patient when mistreated. 

But I'm not done yet.  You may be a bit confused.  So patience doesn't have anything to do with waiting?  It has everything to do with waiting.  One thing I have learned as I study each fruit is there is no single meaning or simple answer for each Christian virtue.  

Briefly, I want to talk a little bit about having patience through hard circumstances.  I've said it before, the Christian life is not easy. God has given us His peace to get through hard times but He also wants us to have patience.  The secret to being patient through rough circumstances is having complete trust in God and the plan He has for your life.  

If you struggle with being patient when your life feels like it's a mess then the best thing you can do is go to God in prayer and study your Bible. Through this process you will grow in your love for God and you will learn to trust God, and then ultimately place your future in His hands.

I want to end with this quote that I just came across today. "Patience is not the ability to wait, but how you act while your waiting."

Peace that Passes Understanding

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27  

I've been wanting to post more regularly but Spring is one of the busiest seasons for my family.  We work at a Christian living history camp.  The camp is awesome, but due to this I have not had the time to post much.  But today I found the time to write the next part of my Fruit of the Spirit series.  Sorry if it sounds a bit rushed.  I just have so many things on my list of things to do and my mind is feeling exhausted and a bit overwhelmed.  

But with the business all around there is no better subject to meditate on then peace.  By taking the time to sit down and write this I have learned a lot about peace.

Peace (the sacrifice of trust) - Whenever I think of peace the words of a song I used to sing when I was little pop into head.  Maybe you know this song.

I have the peace that passes understanding 
Down in my heart!

Where? Down in my heart!

Where? Down in my heart!

I have the peace that passes understanding 
Down in my heart!

Where? Down in my heart to stay!

'The peace that passes understanding' was a phrase that I just couldn't quite wrap my mind around when I was a little girl. I remembering feeling very pleased with myself when I was able to sing this particular part of this song without any mistakes. But I didn't really know what it meant. Now I look at this song and it makes so much more sense to me.  Actually, even thought it's a song I sang when I was in elementary school, I find that I enjoy this song still, if not more now that I'm older.  There's just something about the the simplicity of this song.  

Philippians 4:6-7 says; “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Peace is gained by taking all of our worries and fears and giving them to God. Whatever it is you are facing: trials, fears, or just the everyday challenges of life, you can't find God's peace until you give those problems to God and trust that God will take care of you. You must go to God in prayer and in thanksgiving, just like the verse plainly states, and God will fill you with the peace that passes all understanding.

The peace that God will give you is amazing. It goes beyond understanding.  With everything falling apart right before our eyes God fills us with a peace that sustains us and gets us through the day.  For the unbeliever who watches us go through life with God's peace it is impossible for them to even comprehend how we can be so calm.  I believe that this is what it means to have the peace that passes all understanding.  It just doesn't make sense to the outward eye.  

These past few days I've been struggling with being content with my life and being single, wishing that God would bring that 'someone special' into my life soon.  It just so happened, and I know it was not a coincidence, that during my devotion I came across Philippians 4:6-7. I knew exactly what God was telling me to do. I went to God in prayer and I thanked God for His goodness to me and I told God of my problems and asked Him to take it away and fill me with His peace. Immediately after my devotion I was filled with happiness. God's peace rained down on me like a flood. I was so happy I literally skipped down the stairs this morning (which is not a good idea cause I've slipped on the stairs too many times to count).

My point is that God is waiting to bestow upon you His peace. He's waiting. He's waiting for you to ask. All you have to do is ask and God will shower His peace down on you. 

So what is keeping you?  Give your problems to God,  trust that God's plan for you is the best, and ask God to fill you with His peace. 

Joy ~ The Second Fruit of the Spirit

Well, Happy Easter!  I know Easter was yesterday, but I did't get a chance to post anything so I'm saying it now.  HE IS RISEN!  

And with that said what a  great way jump into the next installment of my Fruit of the Spirit series - Joy! 

Joy (the sacrifice of praise) – Again, like love, joy can be wrongly thought of as a feeling or emotion. Joy is too often confused with happiness. Happiness is an emotion. If our life is going good we are happy but as soon as bad things happen we are no longer happy. Joy doesn't mean we should trick ourselves into thinking we are always happy even when bad things happen. Sometimes you have a bad day and it is just not in your power to be happy at that moment.

God does not say that life as a Christian is easy. It is filled with troubles. But God does promise us His joy. God's joy is all we need to get through all our hardships.

So if true joy is from God and is not a feeling, where can we find this joy?  We can find this joy in God. When you turn to God He will fill you with His joy. When you are overwhelmed with your life here's a easy way to get your focus fixed properly on God again. Think back to the day God opened your eyes to His truth. What was it like before you knew God? Think of what God did to save you. God sent His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross to save you. All our hardships should dim in comparison to God's great Gift to us and we should be filled with the deepest gratitude for what God has done for us. Your life doesn't seem so bad anymore after you put it in this perspective. 

Also, another way to find Gods joy can be as easy as reading your Bible daily and spending time in prayer. The Bible is full of God's promises and meditating on each one of His promises brings joy to our hearts. 

If you were to make a list of all the things you are thankful for and then compare it to a list of everything in your life that you aren't happy about which list would be longer?  We, as Christians, have so much to be thankful for, and a thankful heart is the first step in finding God's joy.

So, in conclusion, Joy is a choice and as Christians we must choose to have joy. We look beyond our suffering and joy fills our hearts because our eyes our fixed on God and the life to come when we will live forever with God in Heaven.

Love ~ The First Fruit of the Spirit

Well, another week has passed and a new one begins.  Seems all the things I couldn't fit into last weeks agenda are on this weeks and I will probably end up finding some silly excuse not to do them.
That's life.  At least for me.  

So, I thought I'd get a head start on my list of things to do tomorrow and post the next part in my Fruit of the Spirit series. Any idea what the first fruit of the spirit is?  HINT:  the picture above is a dead giveaway.  Yep, Love.  So let's talk about love.

Love (The Sacrifice of Self) – Love is too often mistaken for a feeling.  All the romance movies and romance novels promoted by the world have given us an unrealistic view of love. Yes, love is a feeling but it is so much more than just a feeling. One thing you will learn about the Fruit of the Spirit is that every fruit is a decision and love is no different.  We can choose to love others or we can choose not to.  We, as Christians, are to choose to love. No matter how we feel it is our duty to share God's love with others. We are to love others when we are tired or sick.  We are to love everyone, even those who don't give us any love back in return. And here's the hard one. We are to love our enemies. The Bible doesn't only say to love our enemies but it also tells us pray for our enemies.

Love is an action, not just words. Words aren't the only way to share God's love with others. You can tell someone you love them in so many ways. You don't have to say those three coveted words, "I love you," in order to let someone know that you love them.  By serving others, even when it's hard, you are showing them love. And serving others can be as easy as cleaning up after someone or making them a meal.  Believe it or not these small acts of kindness are sending a message to the person that you care about them and that you love them.

And you must remember that this kind of love is impossible without God's help. Our devotion to God is outwardly displayed when we love others. You cannot love God and somehow not love others. God is love and He has created us to be currents for His love to travel through. Once we are filled with God's love we won't be able to conceal it and the whole world will see God's love shining through us.

The Fruit of the Spirit

“But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control, against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23

I'm sure your familiar with the fruit of the spirit. I first remember learning this verse when I was very little. But have you ever dug deeper into what means to be characterized by the fruit of the spirit?  Or have you ever broken down this verse and looked at each fruit individually?

I just finished reading a book about the fruit of the spirit. “A Young Women's Walk with God” by Elizabeth George. Not only did this book help me to understand each fruit of the spirit better but it just so happened that my pastor was also teaching a sermon series on the fruit of the spirit. I just love it when God puts these perfect little coincidences in my life. I knew without a doubt that God was speaking to me and he was telling me that He really wanted me to learn about the fruit of the spirit. And not only to learn about the fruit of the spirit but to grow in my walk with Him by learning about the fruit of the spirit.

And now here I am at the end of my study on the fruit of the spirit. I'm a little bit sad because I thoroughly enjoyed learning about this topic. I have learned so much and It wouldn't be fair for me to keep all of what I learned to myself so over the next few weeks I would like to share with you what I have learned.

As Christians we are to be defined by the fruit we bear. This is where the fruit of the spirit comes into play. In Paul’s letter to Galatians, before he writes the fruit of the spirit he list's things that a christian should not be characterized by (i.e. hatred, jealousy, selfishness...). He then says that instead we are to be characterized by the fruit of the spirit. 

 To better understand what it truly means to be characterized by the these christian virtues I would like to, over the next few weeks, look at each fruit individually.