Thought for the Week

Let’s take a look at the ‘Fruit of the Spirit’ as focused in Galatians 5:22-23. The first three are love, joy and peace. They reflect personal attributes that benefit others because others rejoice in them. The next three, longsuffering, (patience) gentleness, and peace relate toward others as an individual who is demonstrating them relates to others. I once heard someone explain longsuffering and/or patience as some translations say, attribute longsuffering toward other humans who really test/try us and receive a positive longsuffering response. Patience is toward inanimate objects that get into our pathway and impede our progress and desires and could cause one to ‘fly off the handle’ to the detriment of self and others. Patience is a rare but positive response. It requires trust in God and belief in Romans 8:28; “We know that (God) works all things together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purposes.” I doubt longsuffering/patience can possibly be produced on a strictly human level. It requires the Holy Spirit of God as an absolute for this production. When we think of gentleness, as a superior would treat someone who is incapable of getting what they want or need but the superior can easily provide and does so in a humble manner. Gentleness is strength under control. The final three faithfulness, meekness and self-control exhibited as the individual relates to almighty God. God is most certainly faithful to us and this faithfulness reflects a human response to Him. Meekness, or perhaps you prefer humility would indicate we have done as Paul asks us to ‘not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to but to think soberly’ and being completely honest with oneself will put us into the correct relationship with God. He is after-all God and we are His subjects, servants, creation. He wants us, loves, us, created us for fellowship with Him and to worship Him. But, He can get along without us. We cannot get along without Him. Self-control is really putting oneself under God’s absolute control. As Christ has subjected Himself to the Father and His every desire was to do what His Father wanted Him to do. So, we have opportunity as the Holy Spirit helps us to do whatever the Father asks us to do. This is true self-control. Now I have divided the Fruit of the Spirit into three segments but you know that they are really a cluster and each and all are important. We do not want simply a few or part of what the Holy Spirit can produce in us but all of what He can produce. When this happens we are benefitted and blest as are those humans around us and God Himself is as well. He created us and has done all things well for us but we should desperately want to allow Him to have the all of us so His love can be reflected through each of us, all of us, His Church. Can we imagine, probably not, what this world could be like if every human would produce fully the Fruit of the Holy Spirit. Love would abound, joy would know no end, peace would pass all understanding, humans would benefit and bless one another; the things that annoy us would do so no longer, harshness, bitterness, pain would cease and gentleness would prevail, goodness would be honored, appreciated and enjoyed, trust could be universal because we were faithful to God and each other. God would truly be “in charge’ and there would be no rebellion against Him.

Scriptures to Read

Galatians 5:13-15

Galatians 5:16-18

Galatians 5:19-21

Galatians 5:22-23

Galatians 5:24-26

Galatians 6:1-5

Galatians 6:6-10