Galatians 5:22 “But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence”) Amplified Version.
In our lesson last week we learned that the Holy Spirit is the Power of God, He is the energizer. As the Power or Energizer the Holy Spirit is the source behind the Fruit, or as I refer to Him, the “Producer”. It is through His indwelling power that the fruit is cultivated and brought to maturity. We also learned that the Holy Spirit comes to dwell with-in us at the time we become a Christian. Here is the good news, we already have the fruit. It is already being produced within. Did you notice it says fruit in the singular, not the plural fruits? The Fruit may be singular, but it has a number of components, 9 to be certain. This does not mean that each component will be in equal sections such as a grapefruit or orange. Each component (Fruit) will be produced in us uniquely. The quality of the Fruit will also be unique in each individual. Not only is the quality unique but so is the maturity level of each of the 9 components. In other words, not everyone will have the same level of patience, joy, or kindness etc. However, we all have some measure of each of the Fruit.
If the Holy Spirit is the Fruit producer, and I can’t grow it on my own, then why do I need to study it? Let’s revisit the apple tree. You plant an apple tree in your yard with the expectation it will produce apples. You obviously can’t produce the apples; the tree must do the producing. However, you have a huge part in the production process; if you don’t water it, fertilize it, prune it, and keep it bug free, the tree will not produce fruit; you will simply have a dead tree. But if you do your part, more then likely, the tree will produce a bumper crop of fruit. So it is with the Fruit of the Spirit. We do our part…. if we abide in the vine through the studying of God’s word. If we surrender our will through prayer, if we yield our lives to the Holy Spirits leading, the Fruit in our lives takes on shape and form. Remember Matthew 7:16; 20 and 12:33 remind us that we will be known, or recognized by our Fruit, be it good or bad. I don’t know about you, but, I most certainly wish to be the bearer of good Fruit. So let’s begin discovering the Fruit. This week we shall look at the first component and perhaps the forerunner to all the rest – Love.
Happy Studying, Sandra
(Your questions have been emailed).
Ladies,
ReplyDeleteFirst - one hint for blogging. If you check the box that says email follow-up comments to below this scree...where it shows your email address... comments will go directly to your email box. It is an option that you may use if you don't mind receiving lots of emails.
Secondly.... I would love to hear the ways you have decided to love that unloveable person... no names needed.. just the ways.... So please share them here, or email them to me directly.
Here is my first one. One of my hard to love people, does not live close to me... and communication is strained. I am going to try and send a card to them each week just to keep in touch and to pray specifically, and earnestly, for God to bless them each week as I send the card.
However, I have more then one difficult person in my life... so I need more ideas. So let em pour
Be Encourged, Sandra
Good morning,
ReplyDeleteOne of the ways I have decided to love that unloveable person is to pray for them daily. Through prayer my heart always softens towards that person, and it gives me the courage to talk to them. It also helps me to focus on how God wants me to reach out to that person, how to approach them, how to talk to them, how to listen to them - no matter how unloveable they may be. Through prayer, their attitude may change and be more loving. Plus it helps me in my attitude towards them. : )
The analogy of the apple tree is a great one. These principles are not unknown to me but its too easy to neglect them as life gets busy and distractions grow. I think my tree is looking a little neglected at the moment, not much fruit action going on. Its gotten a little bit of water but not much in the way of fertilizer. God's been working on me to change that and doing this study is helping. He is a good and faithful Father and so patient and gracious with me.
ReplyDeleteWhen my husband and I married 12 years ago, I "inherited" two sons, in addition to the son and daughter I already had. After a few years my oldest stepson was going through a really tough and unhappy place in his life. He pretty much hated everyone, but he hated our home slightly less than his mom's, so he began living with us full time.
ReplyDeleteHe was so hard to love during those years. The only way I was able to handle it was to see him through my husband's eyes. I got a mental picture of Curk holding this beautiful firstborn son as an infant, and the look of total pride and adoration in his eyes, much the same as the one I had for my own babies. When I pictured this brooding, sullen, at-times beligerent pre-teenager as the perfect apple of my husband's eye, I was better able to love him.
I've used this successfully with others in my life since then, sometimes just reminding myself that this person is somebody's baby, and I try to think what they might have been like as an innocent child.
I think this works so well for me because I am -- almost above all--an adoring mom.
And when you think that our Father looks on each of His children in that same way, that opens up a whole other way of thinking about it.
By the way, he's 21 now, going to school in Colorado, and he and I have a wonderful relationship!
God's been leading me to love someone by keeping my mouth shut. I do okay if I'm with her, but then I'll go to other co-workers and snivel which just makes everything more strained in the office.
ReplyDeleteSandra hit the nail on the head with today's lesson asking us to write a prayer of surrender. I surrender my opinion of others in favor of His. I surrender thinking I'm right all the time. I surrender thinking the world revolves around what I want.
Love is unselfish & unconditional.
Great comments and insights ladies. I am throughly enjoying seeing how the Holy Spirit is touching each of you in unique ways. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteAs I read through the others comments Just Janie's comments seemed to hit home with me. I am on my 3rd marriage and have "inherited" two sons from my husband's last marriage (this is his 3rd marriage also) and three of his older children too (31, 27, 25) and I have two daughters of my own from my 1st marriage. My husband and I have been married 4 1/2 years and it has been a struggle almost since day one with his oldest son from the 2nd marriage. He is 13 now. Unfortunately the boys' mother has not been a very good mother. She is more worried about herself than anyone else. The boys live with us. She walked out on them when they were 4 and 5 and neither one was potty trained and she was a stay at home mom. Okay, with that part said, for some reason the older one worships his mother. He and she are very alike, very self centered and selfish. Rules do not apply to this child, or so he thinks. It has been very hard to show any type of 'love' towards this child as he is spiteful and argues with me constantly. He is a very angry child, just angry with the world and blames his shortcomings on everyone else. I KNOW that I should not feel resentment towards him but it has come to that. My husband was out of work from Nov 07 and to June 08 which put us in a stressful situation on top of the usual stress. He got a job working nights which leaves me alone with the boys every evening. We are one week three. Week one and two did not go very well, they did not behave themselves and my husband threatened to quit his job if they don't straighten up. This week has been a bit better, so hopefully things are looking up. Using the apple tree comparision and seeing this child through my husband's eyes will be a first step in going in a different direction. This has been going on for 4 years so I know it won't happen overnight, but I am willing to let the Holy Spirit work in my heart and life to make things right and to not feel resentful towards the child. Everyone please keep me in prayer.
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of this study the question was "Love is" and my answer was "painful" (as you can see from above). Now my answer is "Love is a choice I must make".
If love were a color I would say it would be white. White is know to be the absence of color, but more importantly white is reflective of light. Love doesn't absorb (selfish) but it gives (reflective).
Sorry the last post was so long!!!
ReplyDeleteShelly, I loved your color analogy, very insightful! Long is okay, you had a lot to say.
ReplyDeleteLove is all colors, it can be:
Romantically red
comforting green
sky blue - open & free
happy yellow
reflective white
powerful purple
It's powerful as an agent of change. I've come to the conclusion that anger & punishment can never change another person, whether you're disciplining a child or sharing opposing viewpoints with another person. Only love can make a real difference.
Shelly, tears came to my eyes when I read your "story." I'm glad what I said was meaningful to you. I know the situation you're in and it is sooo difficult. I immediately prayed for you and I will continue to pray for you. If you want to contact me directly, just to talk or communicate with someone who's been there, my email address is jcscoping@cox.net and my cell is 602/663-2117. Otherwise I'll be praying for you, your husband, and all of your kids, especially the 13-year-old.
ReplyDeleteThere's a verse in my bible that has been helpful to me. It's highlighted and has the names "Wade and Casey - Summer 1996" handwritten in the margin. "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Eph. 6:9