Fruit of the Spirit - Part 7 GENTLENESS

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Wednesday, May 29, 2019

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives:  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  There is no law against these things!                        Galatians 5:22-23

Gentleness is never to be confused with a lack of strength or resolve.  Rather it is just the opposite; gentleness is the strength to not react badly, but to receive others, faults and all.  There were more than a few times that must have pushed Jesus’ gentle nature to the limit.  The disciples could be fiercely loyal to Jesus, but they bordered on being spiritually bi-polar.  Simon Peter would see the divine in Christ one day and lie like a newly elected politician saving his hide the next day.  James and John loved Jesus but tried to leap-frog over their fellow disciples by asking Jesus to make them King no.2 and 3 when He got to the throne.  Of course, we all remember Judas’ kiss was a betrayal, not friendly at all!  Gentleness sees faults like these as teachable moments to bring health and strength into the lives of others; to bring out the best qualities, not scorch the ground with retribution.

But, sometimes bringing up those higher qualities may require a little heat.  When our youngest child, Carrie, was about 6 or 7 she was allowed to go to her friend, Amber’s house, just around the block from our place.  Carrie was a very cooperative child, always listening to Mom and Dad; but sometimes she would forget.  One such time she had been at Amber’s after school having a great time and she lost track of the time.  By the time she arrived back home the streetlights had already come on against the coming nightfall.  Carrie came skipping up our street in the approaching darkness, so carefree and happy, even though she was well-past the dusk curfew.  It was not until she reached our side door that she saw the grim reaper (me), standing, arms crossed, scowl strategically in-place on my face.  She looked up at her towering executioner and gulped:  I’m dead meat!

To this day I’m not at all sure how I managed to keep that stern look when my insides wanted to burst with laughter.  The good news is that our daughter endured the obligatory week’s grounding for missing her curfew with grace and contrition; lesson learned!

Now, this begs the question of how God is gentle, or can be described as gentle, when we experience such unhappy things sometimes.  It’s my conviction that the reason God doesn’t let us off the hook when we’ve lost track of who we are, and how we’re supposed to behave, is that sometimes we must go through the darkness before we see the light.  That may border on glib, or triteness, but it makes sense, nonetheless.  We learn best when we experience the consequences of our actions.  God may rescue us in the severest of consequences, because He doesn’t want us lost…but when we do dumb stuff, or trivial selfish things, we will often have to feel that isolation, that dead-meatness of the circumstance which we create. 

Mother was right after all, the bed you make is the one you will sleep in!

For You Today

God’s gentle ways will help us through our foolishness, and even our rebellion.  But, it’s a good thing to remember that he wants us to be that way towards the foolish and rebellious people in our lives as well.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.

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[1] Title Image: Pixabay.com  
             Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from The New Living Translation©

Leaving the Door UNLOCKED for God's Spirit

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Thursday, October 19, 2017

“But now I am going away to the one who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I am going.  Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you.  But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come.  If I do go away, then I will send him to you.  And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. 

John 16:5-8^(NLT)

When our youngest child, Carrie (now a mother of two boys) was only 7, her best friend, Amber lived just around the corner from our house.  Sometimes this duo would play at Amber’s house, and sometimes at ours.  Whenever the after-school play was away from home, Carrie knew she had to be home before dark.  Most times she made it.  One time it was well after the street lights came on that we spotted her coming down our street towards the house.  I decided to make an important point about the missed curfew.  I stood (silently, but rather menacing) in the carport, arms folded with appropriate “Dad-scowl” on.  Carrie, our little princess was skipping home, singing a carefree child’s song, and never saw me standing in the dark shadow of the doorway…until she was right in front of me.  She stopped dead in her tracks like a head-on collision, looked-up at my dead-pan face, with the blood drained from her own face, white as a sheet, remembering the curfew, and proclaimed in a small, stage whisper:  I’m dead meat!

I have to admit it was really…I mean REALLY hard to keep my smile hidden, much less keep the belly-laugh that wanted to burst-out of me down where it belonged.  It was even harder to impose the sentence of a weeks’ worth of no-play after school.  After all, she’d gotten it; it was a momentary, childish lapse of thought…and she was only 7 with a ton of remorse.  We let her off with a warning.

The remarkable thing to me was that I never had to say a word.  Conscience, presence, and the working of God’s Spirit to bring righteousness to the surface was what that situation needed – not another sermon.  Sure, my child felt guilty – some guilt is warranted when you’ve stepped over the line.  The fact that she felt guilty is a mark that God’s Spirit was working in her.  That is what Jesus told the disciples would happen when the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, would come to bring conviction to the hearts of people everywhere.  Some guilt is necessary and good, particularly when it points you in the direction of Heaven.

There is a decided “no-vote” in our culture today – against morality and judgment.  Everything and anything that remotely suggests a flaw in sexuality, relationships, conversation or lifestyle behavior is seen as judgmental; say it twice and you’re guilty of a hate crime.  Mention God while you’re saying it and you are a Bible-thumping bigot.

Today’s generation wants everyone to be accepted and feel accepted.  However, lifestyle choices that are 180° opposite of what Scripture declares as righteous, is what makes people uncomfortable around people who are attempting to live a life surrendered to God’s will.  You mostly don’t have to say a word; the Spirit of God will be in the midst of your relationships with others.  Those who live rebellious lives, apart from God and refusing to submit to His will, inevitably blame the Christians in front of them; if you’re the target…if you’re the dead meat for their anger, so be it; it is the Holy Spirit of God they’re fighting against – not you.

For You Today

Some guilt is holy.  Sometimes people need to see their sin, and feel the reproving of the Spirit. 

Most times it is a wise thing to lock your lips, and leave the door open and unlocked for God’s Spirit to do what He wills…not what you think.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!

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[1] Title Image: Courtesy of:  Pixabay.com