The Fruit of the Spirit: what it means to live by the Spirit and produce the fruit

This month I studied the Fruit of the Spirit which I briefly touched on in a previous post a couple years ago. However, this time I wanted to study it in more depth. Writing to the Galatian church, Paul discusses what it means to live by the Spirit (Galatians 5:14-26). Simply put, living by the Spirit is simply resisting the desires of the sinful nature as they are in conflict (verse 16-17). The acts of a sinful nature are listed in verse 19-21, including sexual immorality (which I will do an in depth study at a later date), hatred, jealousy and fits of rage. In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (verses 22-23). We can see why our sinful natures would be in conflict with the Spirit. These are character traits found in the nature of Christ and as the Spirit grows in every believer, he or she will begin to exhibit the same Christ-like nature. 

Love is declared the greatest above all (1 Corinthians 13:13). To love others was commanded by Christ (Matthew 22-37-40, John 13:34-35). To love others is to help each other out in times of need or struggle. It doesn’t have to be monetary. It could be a phone call at 3 am. It could be answering a question for a stranger while at the store. Taking time out of your busy day, errands and schedule to help with a gracious heart. Essentially, as 1 Corinthians 16:14 says, “do everything in love.” Joy in a true believer is undeniable. It is that despite their struggles, despite their pain, they are joyfully seeking God’s guide, love and grace through their valleys as well as their mountain tops. Proverbs 17:22 says that “a cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Sometimes it is hard to be joyful when life looks bleak; however, because we love Christ and believe in him, we are “filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy” (1 Peter 1:8). Peace is hard to imagine in this world as it seems we are always at odds with each other. But Christ tells that we will have trouble in this world but to take heart as he has conquered the world (John 16:33). We can claim the peace of Christ in the most troubled times as we know Jesus has already been victorious. 

Patience is the capacity to accept or tolerate something without getting angry or upset. It is not rushing into a situation, into a relationship or a decision. Patience is something we all struggle with as we deal with frustration. Psalm 37:7 tells us to be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him. It is following God’s plan and timetable rather than our own. Patience is not just waiting but having the right mindset and attitude while we wait. Kindness is showing mercy to others, generosity with our time and resources, and being sympathetic. It is being civil. Proverbs 11:17 tells us that kindness is a benefit to those receiving the kindness as well as the one giving it. Kindness has a boomerang effect. Give kindness and you will receive kindness (although we all know it’s not always from the same person). The kind person honors God by sharing his resources with others and in return, God will bless him. Goodness is working for the benefit of others and not just ourselves. In Greek, the word for goodness is agathosune which means “an uprightness of heart and life.” It is not done for recognition but to bring glory and honor to God who loves us. In Galatians 6:10, Paul writes, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” To return goodness with goodness and overcome evil with goodness. 

Faithfulness is consistently doing what one says he will do. It is keeping your promises. It is fulfilling your duties as a follower of Christ. Another divine characteristic of God as He does as He promises. Hebrews 10:23 says “Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.” Faithfulness is being reliable and trustworthy. It is being steadfast until the very end. Despite our struggles. Despite the world coming in around us. Gentleness is tender, compassionate, tenderness and consideration. It means showing love and care for others in how you act and speak. It is to have a soft spirit or nature. Gentleness is also humility. Humility in reference to who God is and it is not self-hatred or to see yourself as unvalued but to think of yourself less. Proverbs 11:2 says, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” Humility is seeing that apart from God, we can do nothing of worth (John 15:5). Self-control is the discipline to resist the sinful nature. Jesus perfectly demonstrates this disciple during his time in the desert. In Matthew 4:1-11, Jesus is tempted by Satan and does not give in. Self control is also not rushing into a fight without a thought. It is to gather all the information before making a decision. “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls” (Proverbs 25:28). 

In conclusion, the word fruit is singular which highlights that these attributes are intertwined, growing in harmony with and interacting with each other. Living by the Spirit and bearing the Fruit of the Spirit is not something we can do on our own. We need the guidance of the Holy Spirit. As each believer exhibits these behaviors, it can be viewed as the Spirit winning the conflict with our flesh (Galatians 5:17). The fruit of the Spirit are not something we can work on to achieve but flows naturally when we abide or walk in the Spirit. How do we do that? By prayer and studying His Word. “It is living moment by moment in dependency on Him, to listen for His Voice and be obedient to it” (Charles Stanley). Living by the Spirit and exhibiting the fruit is a daily activity. Some days we can be on point and others we will need help. But God is faithful to those who live by faith. 

A Different Kind of Life: one girl's journey through the twists and turns of life

A Different Kind of Life by Pamela Holloway is a story of adversity and the strength and courage to fight on and live. In 1982, eight year old Fiona’s beloved father dies and with her mother wheelchair bound, she is forced to look after her younger sibling. She fights to hold the family together even after the unpleasant Mr. Lennard gradually moves in their home and their lives. After a devastating circumstance forces Fiona to leave her family behind and strike it out on her own to face an uncertain future. To Fiona, anything was better than what she left behind. As she copes with the loss of her family and the uncertainty of her future, her loyalties, her courage and her ability to pursue her artistic talent. Will she find the peace and fulfillment she desperately wants? 

After reading an interview with Ms. Holloway, I was curious about her books. I chose A Different Kind of Life. The story intrigued me. The opening chapter set the tone that life would not be easy for Fiona and her life after her father’s death was definitely difficult. I was scared and concerned for Fiona in those early chapters and when she was forced to leave her family behind, she had no plan. Her story after she leaves is when the story took a turn for me. Everything seemed to fall easily in her lap after that. I felt no connection to Fiona for the rest of the story. The story’s timeline was hard to follow as years will pass in a matter of paragraphs with very little indication. This book is hard to recommend. I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it either. 

A Different Kind of Life is available in paperback and eBook. 

Hannah: a lesson in faith and prayer

One of the women I related to the most in the Bible is Hannah. A woman who desperately wanted a child and had to suffer month after month when it was evident she hadn’t conceived. She was treated with malice and ridicule by her husband’s second wife , who was able to have child after child, but she never responded with malice in return. She may have even suffered from the pitiful, sympathetic looks from the women in her community.  Instead she suffered in silence and poured her heart out to God. Her story is told briefly in 1 Samuel 1-2:11, 19-21. While her story is short, it has an impact felt by many and, by her example, can give hope to other women who suffer from infertility. Her story is one of affliction, despair and faith. It is also an example of God’s comfort and concern for the oppressed and afflicted. 

Hannah actively avoids her husband’s second wife, Peninnah, a woman who has given birth when Hannah has not. Her husband, Elkanah, attempts to comfort her which only adds to her pain and isolation. On a yearly trip to the Tabernacle, Hannah stays behind as the rest of her family goes to rest for the night. She stays there, weeping and praying. Her lips were silent but her heart poured out to God. She prays that if God would grant her a son, she would give him to the Lord for all the days of his life (1 Samuel 1:11). When Eli, the priest, spots her, he assumes she is drunk, which was common, and confronts her. Hannah explains why she is there, Eli blesses her. Back home, Hannah conceives and gives birth to Samuel. After Samuel is weaned (about 3 years old), she takes him to Eli at the temple. Each year Hannah would present Samuel with a robe she made as the family would make the trip to the temple. Each year Eli would ask God to bless her, to replace the child she prayed for and gave up for the Lord. Hannah would become the mother of three more sons and two daughters. Like Sarah and Rachel, Hannah grieved for the children she couldn’t have. Unlike them, Hannah took her anguish directly to God. Instead of pitying herself, she poured out her heart and soul to God. 

Infertility is defined as not being able to conceive after a minimum of six months of unprotected sex. Infertility is physically and emotionally draining that despite her best efforts, a woman is unable to become pregnant. Women who cannot have children often feel less than female. The emotional pain is tremendous with debilitating personal sorrow made worse by a husband’s disappointment, pressure from the families and pity from society. Hannah was a woman of faith who turned to God when she was in the depths of her deepest sorrow. She realized only He would answer her prayer and only He could prove the consolation and purpose in life she desperately wanted. As I faced my own infertility issues, I took Hannah’s example to heart and prayed to God. After I suffered my first miscarriage in May 2010, I looked to God for answers, for guidance and peace it be His will that I never have children. I prayed that he would give the doctors wisdom and the tools. I gave birth to my first child in January 2012 but my infertility journey was not over. I would have miscarriage after miscarriage for five years until I delivered another child in August 2018. Infertility has been a humbling experience. Some women never overcome the feelings of shame and regret that they couldn’t have children at all or couldn’t have more. It is an emotional scar they carry with them for the rest of their lives. A wound that never truly heals. 

There are three lessons in Hannah’s story. First, God provides comfort and peace, not just answers to prayers. According to 1 Samuel 1:18, as she left the temple that day, her face was no longer downcast. She felt peace and comfort that only God can provide. She didn’t know if God would answer her prayer with a child but she felt at peace that God had heard her. Psalm 23:4 says, “You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” Second, our children are gifts from God. In 1 Samuel 1:27, Hannah says “I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him.” She acknowledges that Samuel is the answer to her prayer. But these gifts aren’t ours to keep forever. God asks us to return them to Him as children grow up. They leave home as they pursue the purpose God has called them to do. As Hannah continues in 1 Samuel 1:28, “So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” Lastly, God is concerned for the oppressed and the afflicted. Derived from Isaiah 61:3, the song Beauty for Ashes by Crystal Lewis portrays God’s caring beautifully. The chorus states, “He gives beauty for ashes/Strength for fear/Gladness for mourning/Peace for despair.” God cares for each one of us. 

In conclusion, Hannah represents the character of an earnest petitioner and grateful recipient of divine intervention. She was bullied by another woman. Her husband tried, and failed, to comfort her. She turned to the one she knew who could help. Her prayer has been an inspiration for many women who have suffered infertility and child loss. Hannah was also a woman who kept her vow. She vowed that she would give her child to God, if she were to have a child. She could have easily said, “No. I’m not doing that.” But she didn’t. She knew that Samuel was given to her by God and to God he would be given back. Her story is also another example of God’s caring and concern to those who suffer. All we need to do is to come to him, pour out our hearts just as Hannah did. He listens and he answers. 

If you or a woman you know is suffering from infertility, I highly recommend Jennifer Saake’s book Hannah’s Hope: Seeking God’s Heart in the Midst of Infertility, Miscarriage, and Adoption Loss. It is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook. 

December 10th: Alfred Nobel Day and the Nobel Prizes

December 10th is Alfred Nobel Day in Sweden. We are all familiar with the Nobel Prizes. They are handed out every year in five categories: physics, chemistry, literature, physiology or medicine and peace. Although many of us probably don’t pay much attention to the awards, but they are awards for great achievements in the chosen categories. The Nobel Prizes have been handled out almost every year for the past 113 years all because one man wanted to change his legacy. Here are some interesting facts I learned:

Alfred Nobel was born October 21, 1833 in Stockholm, Sweden. He would become a chemist, engineer and inventor. He would amass a fortune from his 355 inventions with dynamite being the most famous. In 1888, Nobel read his own obituary in a French newspaper which called him “the merchant of death” due to his inventions which would be the precursors for military grade explosives. The article would state that Nobel “became rich by finding ways to kill more people faster than ever before.” The obituary would be eight years premature as the newspaper mistaken him for his brother, Ludvig, who had died. The article left him concerned about how he would be remembered. He changed his will and he would die on December 10, 1896 from a cerebral hemorrhage in San Remo, Italy. He was 63 years old.

His will would specify that 94% of his fortune would be used to create a series of prizes for those who work for the “greatest benefit of mankind.” He stated that the prizes would be in the categories of physics, chemistry, peace, physiology/medicine and literature. There was a great skepticism about the validity of the will and the prize would not be approved until April 1897. The Nobel Foundation would be formed by Nobel’s will executors, Ragnar Sohlman and Rudolf Lilljequist. The first prizes were handed out in 1901 to: Wilhelm Rontgen (Physics: X-rays), Sully Rudhomme (Literature: Poetry), Emil von Bhering (Physiology/Medicine: an antitoxin for diphtheria), Jacobus van’t Hoff (Chemistry: chemical thermodynamics) and Henry Dunant and Frederic Passy (Peace: their role in the founding of the International Red Cross).

There are a lot of interesting facts about the Nobel prices. The Curie family would be the most decorated family with five prizes. Marie Curie would receive prizes in Physics (1903) with her husband, Pierre Curie and in Chemistry in 1911. Their daughter, Irene Joliot-Curie, and her husband, Frederic Joliot-Curie, would receive the prize in Chemistry (1935). The Curie’s son-in-law, Henry Labouisse, would receive the prize in Peace (1965) as director of UNICEF. President Theodore Roosevelt would be the first American to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906 for his successful mediation of the peace treaty that ended the Russo-Japanese War.

To some receiving the Nobel Prize is a high honor and accomplishment; however, there have been some who have said, thanks but no thanks. Jean-Paul Sartre declined the prize for Literature in 1964. He said, “A writer must refuse to allow himself to be transformed into an institution, even if it takes place in the most honorable form.” Le Duc Tho was awarded the 1973 Peace Prize for his role in the Paris Accords which ended the Vietnam War. He won the award with Henry Kissinger but he declined, claiming that there wasn’t an actual peace in Vietnam.