Patient

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; (Psalm 37:7 ESV)

Patient

It is easy to be patient standing in line behind a cute toddler.  It is harder to be patient waiting for a highly trained physician in a fancy office. 

The ‘higher’ the individual, the ‘higher’ our expectations. 

So when this Psalm instructs us to wait patiently for the Lord, it might be a difficult command.  We know the Lord’s capabilities.  We know the Lord’s opportunities.  We know what the Lord can do, has done, and has promised to do.

And we want results, now.

But we can actually be patient, with God, and with each other.

On the one hand, our patience can flow from our knowledge of how amazing God is, and our trust that He loves His people.  Realizing those two things can cause us to be willing to wait on Him, for Him, and in Him.

On the other hand, because patience is a fruit that Christians have, we can choose to be patient.

Choose to trust and be patient.  Choose to hope and be patient.  Choose to relax and be patient.  Choose to be content and be patient.

Because patience is a fruit.

Peace

…seek peace and pursue it. (Psalm 34:14b)

Peace

Robert Frost writes famously about a fork in the road, wherein the poet chooses the less travelled pathway.

The choice of peace is like that.

Most of the references to Peace in the Bible refer to God giving us peace, God giving us reason for peace, God giving us environments of peace, and God giving us opportunity for peace.

Every crisis, perhaps, is an opportunity to choose the peace of God, or the chaos of the world. 

Every major life event, perhaps, is an opportunity to choose the peace of God, or the insecurity of self-service.

Every decision, perhaps, is a chance to choose the peace of God, or the more popular path of rebellion against Him.

It begins with the decision to choose God’s way of salvation, Christ, instead of mankind’s way, works.

And from then on, Christians always have the option of peace.

Choose the path less followed.

Because peace is a fruit.

Joy

Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart! …Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous! (Psalm 32:11 and Psalm 33:1 ESV)

Be Joyful

Psalm 32 ends with a command to be joyful.  The next Psalm begins with the same command.  Depending on how we understand verb tenses, it appears that Scripture contains over 300 commands to be joyful.

That is a lot of commands.

I enjoy a snack of mixed nuts most bedtimes.  In our pantry, we have a plastic tub of them.  But I do not really have those nuts, unless I choose to eat them.

Christians have joy, because we know that our loving, gracious, kind, and fantastic God is in complete charge of the universe, and my tiny life.

But we sometimes do not choose to be joyful.  We choose instead to wallow in sorrow.  We choose to notice the shadow instead of the light.  We choose to be skeptical of God’s goodness, instead of trusting Him.  We choose to appear wise in the eyes of the world, instead of being joyful fools for Jesus.

Joyful joy is in us.  Choose to feel it, embrace it, and express it.

Because joy is a fruit.

Love

Love

Love one another with brotherly affection. (Romans 12:10 ESV)

Love

In my ever-advancing progression towards becoming a cyborg, I have a sensor in my arm that enables me to test my blood sugar levels.  It is pretty cool.

But even though I own that sensor, even though that sensor is embedded in my arm, even though the valuable information is right there… I still have to hold a sensor reader near to the sensor.

The sensor and the information are mine.  But accessing it and using it require a decision, and action.

In much the same way, Christians have love embedded in our arms.  We have been given, through Christ, the ability to understand the simplicity of Love (always always always the OTHER person first), the ability to actually love (following the example of our brother, Jesus), and the ability to want to love, and be selfish no more.

But it does require a decision.

It helps that we are deciding to do something that we have been given the ability to do.  We CAN love.

It helps that we are deciding to do something that God commands us to do.  He desires us to love, and has told us.

It helps that we have had moments that we DID love.  Repeats are easier than initial attempts.

It helps that loving is actually natural for Christians. 

Because love is a fruit.

God's Self Control

For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. (Malachi 3:6 ESV)

God’s Self-Control

If I were God, I do not think I would be so gentle with me, so patient with me, so loving of me.  Through my life I have been unfaithful, unrighteous, and unworthy.

Yet He has not consumed me.

More than that, He has blessed me, blessed me, and blessed me.

Even though it is odd to think of God having self-control, it seems to me that His mercy and grace towards sinners displays exactly that.

He is under no one else’s authority.  In Job 40:6 through 41:34, God demonstrates that God is GOD.  No one else controls Him.  He controls everything.

In that sense, He has the most self-control of all!

And His self-control is what enables the universe to exist, and His people to be safe in Him.

God Himself is the gift of self-control.

God's Gentleness

You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and your gentleness made me great. (Psalm 18:35 ESV)

God’s gentleness

Many years ago I knew a giant.  He was not really a giant, I know, but already in elementary school he stood head and shoulder taller than almost anyone in town.  He was tall, he was wide, and most of all, that boy was strong.

His mother, I was told, reminded him every morning, “You are stronger than anyone else.  Be gentle.”  He was.  He played football, and it was very hard to coach him to tackle.  Because he knew he was called to be gentle.

If he had been a scrawny thin kid, his gentleness would have been nice, but not noticeable.

But a big strong tough hombre like him… his gentleness stood out and had meaning.

Our God is gentle.

And He is bigger and stronger and tougher than my young friend.  So His gentleness is amazing!

God Himself is the gift of gentleness.

God's Goodness

The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows those who take refuge in Him. (Nahum 1:7 ESV)

God’s Goodness

In the film, True Grit, (in either version) young Maddie Ross needs help.  She tracks down a tracker, Rooster Cogburn, an irascible old curmudgeon.  He agrees, regretfully, to assist, but through the movie one is never quite sure whether Rooster is wearing a white hat, a black hat, or a dirty hat.

In the entertainment world, whether literature, big screen, or little screen, it has become popular to blur the line between good guys and bad guys.  Good guys are given questionable motives.  Bad guys are shown to have hearts of gold. 

But with God, such lines are not blurred.

God is good.

And His goodness is a gift to His people.

When we call out to Him, we do not need to feel insecure like Maddie Ross.  He is good, a stronghold, a fortress, who knows His beloved people.

God Himself is the gift of goodness.

God's Kindness

For His lovingkindness is great toward us, And the truth of the LORD is everlasting. Praise the LORD! (Psalm 117:2 NASB)

God’s Kindness

I have known many kind people.  People who were thoughtful, selfless, interested, and well… nice.

But God’s kindness transcends them all in this way.  Kindness is more amazing when the recipient is undeserving.  The policeman who helps a wheelchaired pedestrian cross a busy street is kind.  The policeman who helps a rebellious gang-member cross a busy street is kinder.  The mother who bakes a delicious multi-layered birthday cake for one of her children is kind.  The mother who bakes a delicious multi-layered birthday cake for the juvenile delinquent cat-killing neighbor is kinder. 

God’s kindness to His people is all the more astounding and rich because we do not deserve it.

It could have been patronizing, but it is not.  It could have been didactic, but it is not.  It could have been conditional but it is not.  It could have been merely a reward, but it is not.

God’s kindness is part of Who He is.  And He acts in kindness as a gift.

God Himself is the gift of kindness.

God's Patience

Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? (Romans 2:4 ESV)

God’s Patience

The next few weeks I will be on the road a lot.  And I am already impatient for the end of each trip.  The source of my impatience, I think, is that the trips are good things… and I both can’t wait for the good things, AND I am slightly unsure that things will be as good as I hope.

But God does not have impatience.

The end of the week is as sure as the beginning, for God.  The end of each process is as sure as the beginning for God.  The stages along the way are as sure as the beginning, for God.

He knows our end, which means our salvation.

He knows our struggles, which means He knows their end.

He knows our hearts and souls, which means He knows who we WILL be, for a lot longer than who we HAVE been.

He is patient, and our trust in Him enables us to be patient, too.

God Himself is the gift of patience.

God's Peace

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiahm 29:11 ESV)

God’s Peace

A seven year old boy declared to me recently, “God stands outside of time.”  Suspecting that the lad was reciting a memorized statement, which seemed beyond his understanding, I asked him what that meant.

He glared at me as if I were an idiot.  And he said, “It means God knows tomorrow as surely as He remembers yesterday.”

He was right.  And that knowledge and awareness give God a unique peace.  He does not wring His hands about the future, and He does not scratch his head about yesterday.

He has it all under His dominion.

No worry means peace.  No unsureness means peace.  No insecurity means peace.  Nothing out of His ultimate control means peace. 

And His peace, of course, is where we get OUR peace. 

But His peace is a gift to us, too.  Knowing that HE is at peace is comforting.  The poet Robert Browning wrote, repeating a medieval idea: “God is in heaven and all is well on the earth.”

God Himself is the gift of peace.

God's Joy

I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people. (Isaiah 65:19 ESV)

God’s Joy

This is an unusual concept to our modern ears.  While we can imagine God’s anger, God’s frustration, and God’s disappointment, do we often think of God rejoicing?  While can grasp God’s unconditional love, it seems a serious and costly thing, and we rarely think of God being glad through His love. 

While we know that God forgives, it seems easier to imagine Him forgiving with forbearance, than to believe that He rejoices in forgiving!  It seems easier to imagine Him regretting that we forced Him to forgive, than to believe that He rejoices in forgiving!  It  seems easier to imagine Him holding back forgiveness until we prove ourselves worthy of it, than to believe that He forgives eagerly, gladly, and joyfully!

Bur that is our God.  He rejoices in us, and is glad in us.

Intellectually, we can understand that God’s joy comes from His trust in His own behind-the-scenes goodness.  And that might be a part of it.  Intellectually, we can understand that God’s joy comes from His presence in glorious heaven, and that might be a part of it.  Intellectually, we can understand that God’s joy comes from His perfect Union of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and that might be a part of it.

But really, God rejoices because He is the God of joy!  God rejoices because He loves to rejoice!  God rejoices because He rejoices!

And that is one of His gifts to us!

God Himself is the gift of Joy.

God is Love

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us… (I John 4:10 ESV)

God’s Love

I know a young lady who recently started wearing eyeglasses.  When I asked if they were working, she lowered them, and said, “I can not see the dots on the wallpaper.”  Then she properly replaced her glasses, and said, “now I can see them.”

At times I have thought that I need better glasses to clearly see God’s love.  I see heartache, and suffering, and disorder, and pain, and chaos.  And it is not that I doubt God’s love… I just wish I could see it.  So I have thought that more scripture, more pious thoughts, and more purposeful interpretation would help me know that God is love with absolute certainty.

But I have had it backwards.  I now wonder if my problem is the poor glasses that I DO already have.  I look at the world through my vision changing assumptions of selfishness, time-emphasis, shortsightedness, impatience, and MY definitions of what God should do.

When I get rid of those glasses, even for a little while, I see that God is serious when He declares not only that He does loving things.  But God IS love.

God gives us the gift of being able to love after first declaring that He is able to give that gift, because He is love.

God Himself is the gift of love.

Another Form of Gift

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights… (James 1:16 ESV)

Another Form of Gift

A great way to provide lawncare for the shut-ins of your neighborhood, is to give a teenager a lawnmower.  A great way to provide meals for the hungry, is to teach a hungry man to cook.  A great way to encourage reading is to give books to the library.

The fruits of the Spirit are like that.  Yes, Christians are empowered by the Spirit of God to love, to find joy, to have peace, to be patient, to have kindness, to act with goodness, to display faithfulness, to show gentleness, and to have self-control.

But first, God Himself is loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled.  He gives those gifts to us, aims those things at us, fills us with His expressions of them. 

Before we use them ourselves, God gives us those gifts.

Self-Control

…for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. II Timothy 1:7 ESV)

Self-Control

Some things actually are out of our control.  Among those things are gravity, wind-force, heat in summer, cold in winter, and someone else’s sin.

Yet the most frequent excuse or explanation we offer for unrighteousness is: “I just could not help it.”

When the fact is, we usually can.  Christians more than others, actually.  Because Christians have been given a gift by God… the gift of self-control.

While we will sin until heaven, we can choose to do the right thing.  Though our ‘old man’ has some small grip on us yet, it is a weak grip, and our Jesus is stronger.  While we will not achieve perfection before God until we stand before God, we can be obedient, righteous, and Christlike.

Not because we can do those things.

But we have been given the gift of self-control.  A gift that we use less often than we can.  It is easier, it seems, to give up.  It is easier, it seems, to focus on yesterday’s failures.  It is easy, it seems, to believe Satan’s lies that we are worthless worms, rather than adopted children of God.

And HE has given us self-control.

It is not easy to control ourselves.  Because the way to self-control is actually surrender to Christ.  Mental fortitude is not self-control.  Strong will is not self-control.  Sweaty brows and clenched teeth are not self-control. 

Self-control is resting in the knowledge that God has given us the gifts of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness.  And in the same way, He has planted the seed of self-control in our new hearts.

And from His gift, we can have self-control.  We have to learn how to use it, little by little.  It takes practice, just like the gift of a guitar, or a cookbook, or a car.  But the seed will bear fruit.

Self-control is a fruit.

Gentleness

 Be therefore wise as serpents and gentles as doves (Matthew 10:16)

Gentleness

We attempt to cover up for many unrighteous actions and attitudes by assigning socially acceptable descriptions.  We did not lie, we exaggerated.  We did not steal, we re-aligned resources.  We did not commit adultery, we just had feelings.

And after we display and act in anger, we smile contritely, and we say, “I have a temper.”

Perhaps the opposite of temper is Biblical gentleness.

We act abruptly, we act before we think or pray, we fill our minds with indignation, impatience, disappointment, and superiority.  We later regret outbursts of temper, the emotional or even physical pain we cause, and yet excuse it as, ‘just my temper.’

Anger, temper, irritability, exasperation, and rage are not personality quirks.  And God has given us the solution to them.  He makes us gentle.

We react to His gift with embarrassment, pride, and arrogance.  We elevate anger and temper above gentleness.  And how has that been working out for us?

Instead, accept His gift… incline your mind and heart towards gentleness.  He has already placed in you the ability to be gentle.

Gentleness is a gift.

Faithfulness

…for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13 ESV)

The Fruit of the Spirit: Faithfulness

Batteries can seem expensive.  I like to drain every last bit of power from each small cylinder of chemical, before I purchase and replace the power supply.  When I put those batteries in place, at first I feel confident.  But as time goes on, I lose that confidence in the ability of the battery-powered device to continue doing its job.

If only someone would invent a small portable nuclear fusion battery that never runs out!  I could trust then, that my microphone would always amplify, my wall clock would always be on time, my electric toothbrush would always scrub, and my flashlight would always flash.

Because of God’s empowerment of us, in that same way, we can be faithful.  If grit our teeth and try extremely hard to be faithful in every way, whether to God, to our family, to our employer, or to friends, we have many reasons to lose confidence in ourselves.  But instead, it is God who empowers us.

So, we can be faithful. 

When we find ourselves being unfaithful, perhaps we have changed from God-empowerment, to self-empowerment.

When we find ourselves being unfaithful, check our connections to Him.

When we find ourselves being unfaithful, realize that faithfulness is a fruit… a delightful, healthful, and joyful fruit, and boldly try again.

Faithfulness is a fruit.

Goodness

Trust in the Lord, and do good. (Psalm 37:2 ESV)

The Fruit of the Spirit: Goodness

We use the word, “good” a lot.  That was good cake.  That’s a good temperature.  You did a good job.  What a good dog! I am in a good relationship. That worship service was good.  It felt good to pray.  God is good.

What is a common thread throughout all of those goodnesses?

If something is actually good, and not simply an expression of personal taste, we are told by God in Scripture to do that thing.  Trust in the Lord, and do good, says the Psalmist.

But Jesus also notes that no one, other than God Himself, is actually good. (Mark 10:18)

How can we do, or be, good?  It is an impossible task.

But God gives His people the fruit of the Spirit, goodness.

Even beyond the connection in the English language, goodness is connected with Godliness.

And Christians, made new in Christ, are able to grow in Godliness.

To be more like God… the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

When given the choice between doing something good, or something not good, we can choose to do the good.  That does not mean we will be sinless.  But we can do good, because it is a fruit, a result of Our motivation might still be incorrect, the details of our good act might be imperfect, the result of our goodness might fall short.

But even though, or maybe because, God alone is good, God’s people can do good.

He teaches what good choices look like in His Word.  He displays His example of goodness in our lives.  His Spirit nudges us, shows us, and teaches us what goodness is.

We can, surprisingly, do good!

Because goodness is a fruit.

Kindness

Then he said, “May you be blessed of the Lord, my daughter. You have shown your last kindness to be better than the first by not going after young men, whether poor or rich. (Ruth 3:10 ESV)

The Fruit of the Spirit: Kindness

My mother once asked me, after hearing about a fight at school, if I had been kind.  I answered, not trying to be funny, “kind of…”

I had not punched as hard as I could have… I had walked away after I had won, instead of really finishing him off.  I had not shouted obscenities, insults, or curses. 

So, it seemed to me that I was kind of kind.  I didn’t get it, did I?

People find it hard to be kind, because we have so many opposites of kindness.  Pride is the opposite of kindness.  Selfishness is the opposite of kindness.  Mistrust is the opposite of kindness. Self-justification is the opposite of kindness.  Justice is the opposite of kindness.  Indifference is the opposite of kindness.

Kindness is rare.

But for Christians, it does not have to be.  Ruth was kind when she was thoughtful, patient, and hopeful towards Boaz.  David was kind when he did not demand revenge on Mephibosheth.  The good Samaritan was kind when he was willing to sacrifice for a man in trouble.  And of course, Jesus Christ was kind.

Jesus is kind when He does not treat us as we deserve.  Jesus is kind when He blesses, while He could punish and curse.  Jesus is kind when He chooses to love, when He could simply ignore.  Jesus is kind when He said, and did, this: “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them (Matthew 7:12 ESV).

And even though we have learned for most of our lives that self-protection is better than kindness, we can be kind.  We can imitate Christ.

And even though we prefer revenge and getting even, we can be kind.  We can imitate Christ.

And even though we do not readily notice opportunities to be kind, we can be kind.  We can imitate Christ.

Because we are Christ’s.  And He gives us that ability.

Kindness is a fruit.

Patience

Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. (James 5:7 ESV)

The Fruit of the Spirit: Patience

Impatience and worry have a lot in common.

Both are clearly prohibited in Scripture.  And yet not only are we Christians worriers, and impatient… but we seem to justify our worry and impatience as if those attitudes were righteous.

We worry, we say, because we care so much.  We are impatient, we say, because we desire such good things, and those good things would best be found now.

More than that, our impatience particularly comes from a lack of understanding that God is doing amazing fantastic things.  We are skeptical, though.  We are doubters, though.  We are blind, though.  We are impatient, therefore.

But the good news is, we can be patient.

Christians often list impatience as one of the common sins that everyone has, that we have had for years, that doesn’t really hurt anyone.

But patience is a gift from God.  We receive it by knowing God’s Word, so we can understand what is really going on.  We receive it by praying more honestly, submitting to Christ’s reign.

But it is not our efforts that gain patience.  The Spirit gives it to us, changes us slowly, daily, hourly into patient Christians.  Patience does not come through five steps… it comes through trusting that God gives us that gift. 

We just need to be patient.  Because we are Christians, we have patience.  It might be buried for now.  It might be hidden for now.  It might be mistrusted for now, because we have convinced ourselves we are NOT patient.

But patience is a fruit.

Peace

 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (John 14:27 ESV)

The Fruit of the Spirit: Peace

Imitations are not generally as good as the original.  Whether it is Diet Coke (imitated by Walmart); Milwaukee Power Drills (imitated by Kmart); Smart Phones (imitated by somebody); or bacon (imitated by turkey famers); the imitations are not the same.

Jesus gives His people peace.  Notice He does not say merely that He gives us the opportunity to find peace if we search in the right manner.  He says He leaves it for us, and he gives it to us.

So why do we so often not feel peace?

Sometimes it is because our pride blocks peace.  We want to be the ones fixing things, rather than childlike, trusting that Jesus has things in hand.

Sometimes it is because we are not listening to Him.  So many fake peace opportunities bombard our ears and hearts, that we ignore Christ’s peace.  So we think peace is found through financial security, or family, or organizations, or education.  All useful things, but not peace.   Peace comes from Jesus.

Sometimes it is because we doubt His declarations.  In this case, it is not that we do not have peace, but we do not believe it IS peace.  We think it is foolishness, perhaps.  We think it is laziness, perhaps.  We think it is blind to reality, perhaps.  But Jesus’ peace IS peace.

So how can we better grasp Christ’s peace, the peace that He left for us, the peace that He gave us?  Two ways.  First, more reading of His Word, the Bible.  His Word can convince is that His peace is real.  However much we read, or watch, or listen to other things… read the Bible more.  Second, more prayer. Express your desire to KNOW the peace that He has given us.  Let our Words of humility to Him convince us.

Peace, as a fruit of the Spirit, seems almost too easy, so we do not embrace.

But He has given it to His people.  It is not a result of trying harder, or believing more, or getting more mature in faith.

He has given it.  We have it.

Because peace is a fruit.