Friday Fruit : Self Control

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 5:22-23)

“I want it all, and I want it now.” 
(I want it all –Queen)

What time do you get up in the morning?  I get up about five minutes before I have to.  Maybe five minutes after if the weather is bad.
Some people get up an hour early so they can go running, or get to the gym before work.  That takes dedication.
Yet most of us would have difficulty getting up half an hour earlier to spend 30 minutes more in prayer. 

Why?  Priorities I guess.  For some of us our bodily health is more important than our spiritual health.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. – 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Lack of Self Control leads to excesses in areas that would otherwise be benign: Anger, Drinking, Ambition, Lust, Spending.

Everything is permissible for me”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me”—but I will not be mastered by anything-1 Corinthians 6:12

We need control to show love when we want to show hate.
We need control to be patient when we are not.
We need control to be kind when we are not feeling like it.
etc.

Self Control, like running or working out at the gym, takes practice.
We need to practise it every day to make it “muscle memory.”

• By choosing to read the Word, and follow it.
• By putting off what is wrong (run from temptation)
• By putting on what is right (choose to walk in the Spirit)
• By asking for help, all the time (Pray for strength and wisdom)

How do you build your Self Control? What area do you find it hardest to be controlled?

This has been the last Fruit of the Spirit message.  Feel free to browse over the past ones, and leave a comment.  If you answer on your own blog, please leave a link below.

Friday Fruit : Gentleness

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 5:22-23)

We continue our series by examining Gentleness.

The word that we read as “gentleness” is also rendered as “meekness” on occasion.  I think this is a bit of a problem, because it sometimes makes us think of weakness.

Meekness/Gentleness however is characterised by power, under perfect control.

Think for a minute about a wild and dangerous horse, which is tamed.  It is still powerful, but now it has learned to use its power under control and without hurting anyone.  (The technical term for taming a horse is actually “gentling” I believe.)

Gentleness as a Fruit of the Spirit means that we are controlled by God’s Spirit, and lead in the way of love and kindness.  It does not mean we need to be weak, or quiet.  It means we need to be controlled, and not hurt others. 

“And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” – 2 Timothy 2:24-26

In this verse, we see that the follower does not ignore or accept the sin, but he does not lash out or condemn the sinner either.  He is gentle in his instruction, and loving in bringing the opponent back to God.

Jesus was gentle.  He was loving to the woman caught in adultery, and the woman at the well.  In both cases he told them what they needed to do, and taught them the error of their ways.  However he did not punish them or lose his temper with them.  He was controlled.

He was also controlled when he turned over the tables in the temple, and when he spoke very harshly against the Pharisees, and condemned them for their hypocrisy.  He was controlled in his anger, and his hatred for sin.  He was gentle with the sinner.

“He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.” - Isaiah 40:11

God is infinitely gentle in his love and dealings with us, and we need to learn to take on that gentleness, and not condemn or judge those around us.  We are not to be doormats, but use the power and authority we have been given in a loving and gentle way.

Dangerous Fruit?

I was driving home late last night, at about midnight.  As is my custom, I was talking to myself.  (Yes, I am weird like that.)

I was busy thinking about the Fruit of the Spirit, because I am planning a lesson series on it in my small group.  Stay tuned, I might post some of it here if you are good.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law – Galatians 5:22-24

As I was driving, I was considering how one goes about exhibiting and growing the fruit in your own life.  I was thinking about what love really means, and goodness, and kindness. 

Then as I drove down a dark and abandoned road, I saw someone in a bakkie coming around the corner with their hazard lights on. (You would probably know a bakkie as a pick-up truck or utility vehicle.)

The driver pulled off to the side of the road, and stopped their vehicle.  It appeared that they were having difficulty. 

I suppose I should have pulled over to see whether they needed help.  But it was a dark and uninhabited area, and it was not safe.  My country is riddled with crime, and it is one of the first things you learn… never get our of your car at night.  Especially if you are alone.

So I slowed down, but I could not see if the driver was in trouble or not, so I drove on.  Sometimes hijackers and robbers use “break-downs” as decoys to lure people in.  So I carried on home.

It got me thinking though.  The loving, kind and good thing would be to stop and help someone in need.  Sort of like the Good Samaritan in the story.  But what about when it is dangerous to you?  I don’t mind risking my life to help someone, but deliberately doing something stupid when it might be a trap is another thing.

Isn’t it?

What are we supposed to do as Christians?  What Would Jesus Do?
Is it goodness to stop for every person, or just stupidity?

What do you think?

Biblios Hokku - Galatians

 

GALATIANS
Walk in the Spirit.
Don’t give in to earthly lust.
and you will bear fruit.