Fruit of the Spirit/Kindness

 

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

     If you are stopping by for the first time or haven’t been here is awhile, please read through last week’s blogs. The fruit of the Spirit listed in the verses above will grow in us as we view the world through the lens of Christ. From His vantage point, He can see into the hearts of man. Jesus may trim something from our lives or even take the ax once in a while to grow healthier fruit. Let’s continue with the fruit of kindness, and check in, once again, with Joyful Jenny.

     JJ’s daughter, Kind Katie, is heading out the door with cookies for their next-door neighbor, Crabby Cathy and JJ marvels at the relationship between this unlikely duo. Katie has never had a problem with their crabby and critical neighbor. The relationship began when Katie was only five years old. The first time they met she went right up and held Cathy’s hand. Cathy, in return, has never said an unkind word to Kind Katie and the two have become fast friends.

     JJ realizes that her daughter has taught her just as much about following Jesus as the women of faith in her life. Katie still sings a song she learned in church as a kindergartner based on Ephesians 4:32.

Be kind, one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God, in Christ, has forgiven you. Too, too, toodily, too, Ephesians 4:32.  Yeah!

     Katie comes home after an hour or so and tells her mom CC is healing just fine after her knee surgery. Today, CC confided in the twenty-one-year-old Kate about her own critical father.

     And her kind-hearted daughter said, “See mom, I know it hasn’t been easy for you to be nice to Cathy, but she never had a loving father like we both did. I told her she has a loving Father in heaven and He will love her enough to make up for it.”

    Be kind one to another. It’s worth a try. And if we are patient and joy-filled with peace in our hearts who knows what might happen with the Crabby Cathy’s in our lives?

Dear Father in heaven,

Thank you for loving us so much that Your Son, Jesus, suffered on the cross and took all of our sins on His own shoulders. That kind of love is available to us through Your Holy Spirit. Continue to grow that precious fruit within us as we head out the door today.  Show us how to be kind and tenderhearted to those around us.

Amen

Fruit of the Spirit/Patience

 

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

     The patience of God is endless. His answers in our lives are not based on our time tables. If you are a Christian, you may be praying for someone or for yourself, for healing, for comfort, to find a spouse, to have a baby, to find peace. Someone may be praying for you and here you are reading about Jesus and His words to you. God works in a myriad of mysterious ways. To Him, a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day. (Psalm 90:4 and 2 Peter 3:8)

     Moses lived in the desert for 40 years and was 80 years old before God used him to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. Sarah and Abraham had their son, Isaac, long after child-bearing years. In fact, the name Isaac means “laughter.”  That is just what Sarah did when she found out she was pregnant. She laughed! Daniel was brought into captivity in Babylon when he was a teenager. He remained a faithful servant of God in the midst of corruption and greed, consistently praying for his fellow Israelites to be allowed to go home. His prayers would be answered but he would remain in Babylon until he was a very old man.

     It is difficult to be patient and trust God over a long period of time isn’t it? Do not lose heart. God is not slow in coming.

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness; instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.   2 Peter 3:9

     It is our friend, JJ’s, 45^th birthday. She marvels at the passage of time. As she prays in the early morning hours, she thanks God for His patience with her. Her faith has matured and she recognizes how God has worked in her and in her family. It has been fifteen years since her son’s allergies were diagnosed and controlled. Her mom and dad enjoyed their apartment for ten years before her dad went home to Jesus five years ago.

    She is now just two years older than CC had been when they first moved in. All of those years ago, Jenny’s love for her neighbor was out of obedience to God, trying, many times, unsuccessfully, to follow His ways. But God had worked a miracle and her eyes glistened with tears as she discovered the truth. She really did love Crabby Cathy.

     She picked up her Bible and in her daily reading she found this:

Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rain.  James 5:7

     The fruit of the Spirit she had studied all of those years ago was growing slowly and steadily. She recognized the faithfulness and patience of God over time. He was so good. CC was getting ready to have surgery, and she bowed her head again.

Lord Jesus,

Teach us how to be patient. We want immediate gratification when we see a need. You hear every single prayer and You give us what we need, when we need it, in Your time. Be patient with us we pray. You place us in situations and with people for a reason. Give us the same patience that You have with us.

Amen

Fruit of the Spirit/Peace

 

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

     Tornados twirl, heat waves soar, social media blares, anxiety increases, drugs abound. Where is peace? Can it be found? What is robbing you of a sense of peace? What is your mind focusing on today?

     Joyful Jenny had recaptured a sense of hope after her conversation with Encouraging Evelyn. As their study begins, she attempts to focus on the facilitator, but her mind is, once again, in turmoil. The doctor’s appointment for her son, a meeting with an assisted living apartment for her mom and dad and the call she needs to make to the driveway company, are filling her mind, not with peace, but with anxiety.

     “Lord, please focus my mind on You this morning,” she whispers.

     Teaching Tess asks for the women to raise their hands if they are worried about anything this morning.  Most of the women raise their hands. TT reads from Philippians Chapter 4;

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:6-7

    Tess continues the discussion. “Did you notice the words at the end of verse 7? That peace of Christ will guard both our hearts and our minds. Listen to these two verses. Our inner peace is somehow connected to what is on our minds.

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.  Isaiah 26:3”

     TT continues, “What do you think, women of faith? Trusting and focusing our minds on Christ rather than on our worries and circumstances, will keep us in peace. Let’s talk about that, but allow me to read one more:

The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.  Romans 8:6”

     Jenny felt a surge of peace and contentment flood her tired mind and body. The words of the Bible held such great power and grace for her heart and mind. She listened to the conversation flowing around her. These wise women offered suggestions like taping Scripture verses around the house; memorizing Scripture focused on a particular worry; thanking God in advance for working on a struggle; praising Him for all He is even in the midst of a crisis.  She took notes and felt her anxiety lift.

     As she drove home, with this unexpected peace, she lifted up a prayer asking that it would last for more than five minutes. She decided to stop at Crabby Cathy’s house to figure out what to do about the driveway.

Dear Jesus,

These are Your words of peace to us:

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

Give us the inner peace that surpasses knowledge. Train our minds to focus on You and the things of the Spirit. Keep our hearts and minds free from fear and worry.

Amen

 

Fruit of the Spirit/Joy

 

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

     That soul-deep, Spirit-filled fruit of joy is established when we accept Jesus as Savior. At that moment, we are seated in heaven, with the promise of everlasting joy. Some days, hopefully most days, as we mature in our faith, that joy can sustain us through the ups and downs of life. Christ is with us today, tomorrow, forever. Somehow, though, life gets in the way, doesn’t it?

     Let’s pick up with Joyful Jenny a few years later. Her youngest child has been sick off and on for a few months with no real answers and there are health concerns with her parents. Prayer and Bible study still hold a vital and prominent place in her life, but the words and the prayers feel empty. They are not moving from her head to her heart. The joy is missing.

     That missing joy moves another few miles into the distance as she spots Crabby Cathy.

     “You know I don’t like the sound of that company you chose to do our driveways. I may call someone else to get an estimate.”

     There was no love in her heart as JJ said, “You do whatever you need to do.” And she walked inside. The company she chose? No, they chose it together! How could she continue to speak to her next-door neighbor with love when she never received anything in return except criticism?  

     “Lord, how do you keep loving people when they don’t listen or respond?”

    Joyful Jenny relied on the other women of faith in her life, especially the older women. They spoke with such wisdom and love. Most of them had been through so much and continued to trust Jesus even in the midst of impossible circumstances. Their stories gave her new hope. Walking into Bible study early, she was relieved to see Evelyn.

    “First of all,” Evelyn said after listening quietly for a few minutes, “tell Jesus absolutely everything on your heart. He understands exactly where you are and He will get you through. Praise Him and thank Him for working in all of these situations. All of us go through times of despair. Why do tough things seem to come in groups? Remember we are a work in progress. We just read that in Philippians 1. Believe me, He is never done working on us.

    I also want to give you encouragement with your neighbor. You may not see results, but you have been planting seeds in her life for years. You may be the only Jesus she ever meets. Jesus will do the heart changing. Trust Him to know the timing. And one more thing. Don’t allow others to steal your joy. You know Jesus!”

     JJ felt a surge of that missing joy. Encouraging Evelyn gave her a verse to memorize.

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12

    Today it just so happened they were studying the 4^th chapter of Philippians. Paul is writing from a prison cell, trusting God, changing even the jailers’ lives and this is part of what he says to JJ and to us.

Rejoice in the Lord always; I will say it again; Rejoice! Philippians 4:4

Dear Father in heaven,

You tell us to come to you when we are weary and burdened (Matthew 11) Teach us to be joyful in hope.

We rejoice in Jesus.

Amen

Fruit of the Spirit/Love

 

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

     Love encompasses all of the other fruit. Jesus, through the Holy Spirit within us, will continue to teach us how to love. Each one of us is made in the image of God. (Genesis 1:27) Jesus sees through to each heart. Let’s follow the story of Joyful Jenny and Crabby Cathy this week and use them as one illustration for growing in the fruit of the Spirit.

     Joyful Jenny and her young family recently moved into a new home. JJ had given her heart to Jesus a few years earlier and was in the midst of a Bible study on the fruit of the Spirit. It turns out she would be put to the test on growing in the Spirit with her next-door neighbor, Crabby Cathy.  JJ had recently read this Scripture:

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.” Luke 6:32

     JJ had made a conscious decision to love the difficult people placed in her life. She began to pray for Cathy and for her words to be spoken in love. She took a deep breath as she walked outside one summer morning, seeing CC out in the backyard.

     “You really need to get to work on these weeds back here. They are starting to move into my yard and I have more than enough to do, thank you,” were the first words out of CC’s mouth.

     “Good morning. You are so right. But isn’t it a beautiful morning? It’s a morning to play don’t you think? But I will get on those weeds soon. Your yard looks beautiful by the way. I might need help on deciding which one of these are weeds. Aren’t some of them pretty?”

      With a “hmmph,” CC walked away. Jen sighed, recognizing how difficult it was to love some people. “How do you do it, Lord?” she whispered before heading to the swing set with her kids.

     Think about those difficult people in your life. Maybe the Holy Spirit can give you some help in loving them, as impossible as that sounds. It is easier to love the people that are like us, that love us back, that understand us. The Holy Spirit will allow us to see a little deeper into the hurt, the defensive walls, the grief and hopelessness. Is He asking you to love?

     First of all, make sure you fill up with the love of Christ, until it overflows. His love is unconditional, filled with mercy and new beginnings. His love changes us first. Only then can He work within us and through us to share it with the CC’s in our lives.

Dear Lord,

Fill us to the brim until it overflows with Your love. Teach us to love the difficult people in our lives and the people who need it the most. Take away our doubt and fear as we move out into the world today.

In Jesus we pray,

Amen

Fruit of the Spirit/Love

The Fruit of the Spirit

 

     Jesus calls Himself, “the vine,” and He calls us, “the branches.” Apart from Him we can do nothing. The Father is our gardener and, as any good gardener would, He cuts off unhealthy branches and prunes others in order to produce more healthy fruit. What is the fruit of the Spirit?  The Bible is clear on just exactly what the fruit is: How is it growing in you?

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

     Did you notice these verses begin with the fruit of the Spirit, not fruits? The seeds of this fruit are planted in us. As we continue to grow in the things of the Spirit, this heavenly gardener of ours, pulls out some of the seed-eating weeds as we grow in this precious Spiritual fruit.

    The fruit is grown within us to be shared. Tomorrow we will begin with love. That is where everything begins with Jesus. In the meantime, don’t be afraid of the pruning shears or even the ax. Trim some temptation here, a bit of bitterness there, and chop off that huge cheating limb. It’s all for our own good, even when it hurts. Jesus produces only the best fruit.

Dear Jesus,

Teach us more about Your fruit in the days ahead. Help us to grow in the fruit of the Spirit. Most of all, help us to trust You to know what is best as we continue to walk in step with the Spirit. 

Amen