FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT
We are nearing the end of Lent. Have you been so busy with church events that you are weary? How would you like to deepen your spiritual life between now and Easter? Actually, it is something you can do anytime, but since we are almost at Holy Week, now would be a good time to start.
Paul provides us with the perfect guide in Galatians 5:22-26. In contrast to the Fruits of the Flesh that so affect both our lives and our whole society, Paul offers us a list of NINE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT. Here is his list: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. You have probably read these several times, and either preached about them or heard them in sermons. But consider them as opportunities for your own spiritual discipline between now and Easter.
Remember that we improve our strength and skill WITH PRACTICE. So here is the process. EACH DAY you will choose one of the nine fruits of the spirit. This will become your focus for twenty-four hours. Write the particular fruit on a card or piece of paper and carry it with you throughout the day. Be forgiving of any failures, but keep trying throughout the day.
DAY ONE
LOVE is the first fruit. For the next twenty-four hours, you will concentrate on how you can exhibit love in your interactions, attitudes, decisions, and judgments. What does it mean to manifest LOVE in your meetings? How about in your phone calls?
DAY TWO
JOY is the focus of your second day. Picture yourself displaying joy as you drive to work, respond to a waiter, plan for your budget meeting, etc. What are the ways that joy can be felt in your interactions.
DAY THREE
PEACE is the objective for your third day. You might even plan ahead and consider how you might be a peacemaker in some of the events on your calendar. Don’t forget that offering behavior that makes for peace includes your family relationships.
DAY FOUR
PATIENCE is the emphasis for the fourth day. For some of you, this may be a more difficult task than for others. Yet, regardless of our temperament, we can all increase our ability to be patient with others, the tasks of our work, and even God. Come on, be honest, sometimes we feel a little impatient with God.
DAY FIVE
The fifth day we look for ways to show KINDNESS. At first, that may seem to be easy, but maybe we have given ourselves too much credit in the exercise of this gift. Think of ways that you can be kinder and, most importantly, without begrudging your efforts. Have there been times when you have outwardly acted kindly but had a negative thought or even a superior thought on the inside? Remember, these are spiritual gifts we are exercising.
DAY SIX
Sixth, we look at GOODNESS. You might begin by either taking a piece of paper or opening up your computer and trying to define what goodness would look like in your life. What are at least three ways you could be good today? What might it mean to practice genuine goodness today?
DAY SEVEN
FAITHFULNESS is the area of concentration for the seventh day. We are not talking about your belief system but your commitment in your relationships to God, neighbor, and even yourself. What are the actions that display faithfulness in your various relationships?
DAY EIGHT
GENTLENESS is the eighth fruit of the spirit. If you have been following this process for the last seven days, one area where you might display gentleness is with yourself. Both you and your neighbor can benefit in learning to be more gentle with each other.
DAY NINE
The ninth fruit is SELF-CONTROL. Consider how the world would be better if more people could learn to strengthen their ability to demonstrate self-control. Reflect briefly on three or four incidents in the past month or so where you felt you could have shown more self-control. What are some of the areas in the future where you hope you can witness to the world the benefit of having more self-control?
AVAILABLE FOR YOU AT ANY TIME
While I have offered this discipline for you to practice between now and Easter, you always have the opportunity to initiate this practice in your life. You might even want to suggest it as a spiritual discipline for the whole church. Maybe the whole congregation could focus on one of the fruits of the spirit each week.
