Wednesday, October 1, 2014

God's Fruit

The fruit of the spirit's not a cherry

The fruit of the spirit's not a cherry. 

If you wanna be a cherry, you might as well hear it:

You can't be a fruit of the spirit....



Cuz the fruit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control!

My little voice sang this over and over again in Sunday School and Wednesday night KidzQuest. Each time, I changed the fruit, and changed my voice to fit whatever fruit I was singing about. Teeny-tiny soft voice for cherry, deep voice for watermelon….you get the picture. Until recently, I’d forgotten about that song and about the fruit of the spirit. But the past few weeks at work, I've gotten a couple of unexpected complements...


“Madelaine…you’re so peaceful. All the time! How do you do it!?”

“Woah..I don’t know how you do it. You’re so patient.”

"How are you always so kind to everyone?"

These are actual quotes from my co-workers. But...am I really patient and peaceful? I’m certainly not trying to be. Perhaps..this is what the Bible calls fruit of the Spirit. Or in, different syntax: the Spirit has been working within me to produce fruit.

Paul, in his letter to the Galatians wrote:
“The acts of the sinful nature are obvious….hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy….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 5:19-23

The fruit of the spirit has always been a concept that I've never fully understood. I've always differentiated between Christian and non-Christians, but never wondered why Christians always seem to be more…joyful. Happy. Loving. How are these fruits different from what non-Christians act?

The title of a hymn comes to mind… “They will know we are Christians by our love”.  Or in the words of James, “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead” (James 2:26). These works—these fruit—should appear in us, just as breathing comes natural to anyone who is alive.

I’ve never thought of myself in terms of loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind (etc.) although looking at my life, I suppose it could be inferred that I am. But also, it’s definitely not ME that is causing me to be kind/joyful/peaceful. God is working in me to achieve this.

Thoughts?


“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6).

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