This summer we have been exploring what it means to be a Christian in 2009. Our study is based on Galatians 5:22-23, commonly known as "the fruits of the Spirit". The apostle Paul writes: "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." [TNIV]
So often we think of these qualities in terms of what our culture teaches us: Love is about romance and sexual attraction; joy is what we feel when good things happen to us; practicing peace and patience is foolish because we have to get ahead; being kind, good and gentle means we're the nice guy/gal who will finish last; and faithfulness and self-control are pretenses we hide behind while we try to get away with whatever we can.
Jesus and Paul teach us very different things about these qualities. They teach us that this is how we will live when we accept the love of God in Jesus Christ into our lives. Christ's love will transform us so that we can love with commitment, be joyful even in the midst of trouble, and live with the assurance that peace is not the absence of trouble but the presence of God.
What do these words, these qualities, "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" mean to you? What do they mean for your life?
More about kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control in future posts.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment