Fruit of the Spirit - Kindness

Kindness is the fifth fruit of the Holy Spirit.  The root of kindness is compassion and love.   Jesus, the great teacher, exemplified  kindness as illustrated throughout his life.  Through his great love, he healed  and forgave those who were shunned and cast aside.    

Luke 5:12-13 (NIV)

 ¹² While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy.^[a] When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”  ¹³ Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.

While we don't have the same power to heal as Jesus did, a simple act of kindness is one of the greatest ways that we demonstrate our love and compassion for others, and for God.  Acts of kindness come in all forms and often don't require a lot of effort, but the ripple effect from one act can be far reaching. 

Today, at least for me, it seems that everything moves  fast and it is easy to get so focused on what we have to accomplish that we often miss noticing someone struggling.  We get fully engaged in what is important to us and don't consider what is important to others. When was the last time that you did something kind for someone?  When was the last time that you put another person's needs or desires ahead of your own?  A family member, a friend, co-worker, a stranger? 

Did you let the person holding two items go ahead of you in line at the grocery store, when you had a cart full?  Did you attend your daughters school play rather than play golf with your friends?  Did you bring coffee to your husband in bed on Saturday morning?  Did you give a dollar to the homeless person with their hand extended to you, despite your beliefs about or fear of that person?  Did you make a meal for someone who is homebound? Did you volunteer to help out for a worthy cause?  Did you smile at someone who looked sad?  Did you give words of encouragement to someone who is discouraged? 

These things don't cost us a dime, but they are priceless.

If you want to feel better about yourself, do something for someone else. There are millions of little ways that we can step outside of ourselves, be a light of hope and demonstrate our love to others through our acts of kindness.

Ephesians 2:4-7(NIV) ⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶ And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

Dear Lord,

I pray today that you make me mindful of opportunities to show kindness to others and that you fill me my heart with charity.  I am grateful for the love and kindness you have shown to me and will show my gratitude to you through acts of kindness to others.  

Amen.

"If you haven't any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble"  Bob Hope

"Today I bent the truth to be kind, and I have no regret, for I am far surer of what is kind than I am of what is true."   Robert Brault.

Fruit of the Spirit - Peace

"Peace with God is the fruit of oneness with God" - Dr. Charles Stanley

Our Lord Jesus Christ is referred to as the Prince of Peace.  He was given that designation at birth and throughout his life provide teachings about having peace in our hearts and minds through our relationship with God.  

Isaiah 9:6 (NIV) ⁶ For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

What is peace? It is described by many sources as freedom from war, harmony, tranquillity, serenity, undisturbed state of mind, absence of mental conflict, contentment, acceptance of one's state and the absence of anxiety.  There are so many things in the natural world that can disturb our peace and cause us to live in fear or filled with worry and conflict.  It may seem impossible to find peace during turbulent times, but it is important to recognize what we can and cannot control in order to live a peaceful existence. Some people are blessed with the talent for facilitating agreement and harmony in certain situations.  For most of us it starts with how we think and our ability to not allow external circumstances to control us.   

If everyone was at peace with themselves, would we have peace in the world? 

I know from personal experience that obtaining internal peace is a process that requires meditation and dedication. Fortunately, we do not take this journey alone.  It is through our relationship with our Father and his grace and love, that we find and sustain peace within. 

John 16:33 (NIV)   ³³ “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” 

"If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other." Mother Teresa

  

"Each one has to find his peace from within. And peace to be real must be unaffected by outside circumstances." Mahatma Gandhi

God loves you. Go in Peace.

Fruit of the Spirit - Patience

I confess. The message of waiting patiently and quietly on the Lord is a difficult one for me.   In reality, I am not sure who is waiting on whom?  We are waiting on God, but is he also waiting on us to demonstrate our faith and trust first?  Must we learn something before our patience and prayers are answered?

When most of us think of being patient, it means not getting upset while we wait in line at the grocery store, or for a table at the restaurant, or in traffic, or for a pay increase or promotion at work. For the most part, this is the small stuff.  When I think of patience in the biblical sense, I think of facing trials, losses and problems as we wait for God to provide us with what we need to live out his purpose and plan. I know, that sounds sort of mushy, but there are numerous examples in the bible that illustrate how He works.

Abraham, Joseph, Job, Daniel, David and Jesus to name a few.  God promised Abraham that he would be the Father of many nations. It wasn't until he was 100 years old and Sarah was 90 years old the God gave them their son Isaac.  Talk about a long wait!    

 1⁴ “I will certainly bless you, and I will multiply your descendants beyond number.” ¹⁵ Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised.  Hebrews 6:14-15 (NLT)

God promised Joseph in a dream that he would one day be a great ruler.  His brothers were jealous of him and sold him into slavery.  Joseph endured much during the time he waited, including prison time. Eventually he became a great ruler of his land. 

Maybe none of us are destined to such lofty places, but all of us are here for a purpose.  God created us for his purpose, not ours.  He decides, what, when, where and how. He knows what He is doing. That does not mean that we sit around and do nothing.  We must keep working toward our goals, keep praying for guidance and God will deliver each of us to the right place.  In the meantime we must wait patiently, quietly and without complaint.  

Patience takes courage, hope and unquestioning trust in God. In the beautiful words of David:

1. "I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. 2. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. 3. He has given me a new song to sing, hymn of praise to our God.  Many will see what he has done and be amazed.  They will put their trust in the Lord"   Psalms 40:1-3 (NLT)

Dear God, 

I wait patiently, quietly and without complaint for your guidance and trust that your hand is working to bring all things together for good in my life.   Amen. 

Fruit of the Spirit - Joy

Have you ever had days where you wake up in the morning feeling sad and not know why?You look around and know that you are blessed with all that you need.  So why do you feel so blue?  What's missing in your life?  Or.... perhaps you do know why you are feeling sad. Financial worries; relationship problems; problems at work or no work; problems with your children and so on.  We each have our own unique and ever changing challenges and trials. We will never be completely without them and life will never be perfect.

It is during these times that Satan swoops in to steal our JOY.  He loves nothing better than to pray on us when we are weak and vulnerable.  The good news is that God has provided us with protection from Satan.  A way to suit up and show up each day. Simply put on the whole armor of God.  

Ephesians 6:10-18 (NLT) ¹⁰ A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. ¹² For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.  ¹³ Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. ¹⁴ Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. ¹⁵ For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. ¹⁶ In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. ¹⁷ Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  ¹⁸ Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.  

In the heat of battle, it is often difficult to remember that we can do anything with God on our side.  He is with us always and will never leave us.  He wants us to live life filled with Joy, knowing that he walks with us through this crooked journey of life and that there is something better waiting for us just around the corner.   Don't waste another day living with worry.  Instead, choose to rejoice and live with joy.  I pray that God fill your heart, mind and spirit with joy, peace and gratitude, every day. 

Psalm 118:24 NLT  ²⁴ This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.