The Sixth Fruit is Goodness

                                             

The Sixth Fruit is Goodness

 The word “good” has many definitions. Some of the words used to describe the word good are: morally excellent, virtuous, righteous, pious, satisfactory in quality, quantity, or degree, of high quality, kind, beneficial, honorable, worthy, and genuine. Only God has all of those qualities.  No matter how hard we try we cannot consistently live up to those moral virtues on our own. Our “goodness” has to be God-given. We have to depend on His goodness to override our selfish natures. There are times yes, when we “do good” and there are people who we describe as a “good person” based on their actions or what we observe in their personalities, but true “goodness” is a gift of God and it is a fruit of the Spirit.

 

 Within the context of the fruit of the Spirit, “goodness” is the state of consistently and unselfishly doing what is beneficial to others. It’s more about generosity and working for justice than about following rules. Further, “goodness” is a way of seeing. This goes back to our verse in 1 Corinthians 13:5 in which we’re told that love keeps no account of evil and expects the best of everyone: remembering that we are all created in the likeness and image of God (Genesis 1:26).

We are prompted to perform good works in response to God’s great love for us. It’s not self-generated. It’s God-generated. Our catalyst to perform good works has to be compassion for people, not just a duty to perform. When God puts a good work in our hearts, we’ll know that it’s Him, we won’t suffer burnout from trying to work in our own strength. We won’t pat our own selves on the back; we’ll give Him the glory. Goodness has to begin with love.

 

God is Good

Even in Old Testament times, the writers knew that God is good. They didn’t even have the knowledge of the free salvation that we have now through our belief in Christ. They just knew that God was good, based on His record and on His promises. King David and the additional authors of the Psalms knew that God is good. They pointed out that He gives food to eat, He placed us in families, He doesn’t give us the punishment we deserve when we do wrong. He even provides oil for our skin and wine for our enjoyment!

 

1 Chronicles 16:34 “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.” This same refrain is repeated in Psalm 106:1, Psalm 107:1, Psalm 118:1, and Psalm 136:1

 

2 Chronicles 5:13 “For He is Good, His mercy endures forever.”

 

Psalm 65:11 “You crown the year with Your goodness and Your paths drip with abundance.”

 

Evidence of God’s Goodness

Psalm 68:5-6 “A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation. God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity.”

 

Psalm 68: 19 “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation.”

 

Psalm 103:3 “He forgives our sins and heals our diseases.”

 

Psalm 103:4 “He redeems our lives from destruction and crowns us with lovingkindness and tender mercies.”

 

Psalm 103:5 “He satisfies our mouth with good things so that our youth is renewed.”

 

Psalm 103:6 “He executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.”

 

Psalm 103:8 “He is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.”

 

Psalm 103:10 “He has not punished us according to our sins.”

 

Psalm 104: 14-15 “He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, and vegetation for the service of man, That he may bring forth food from the earth. 15. And wine that makes glad the heart of man, Oil to make his face shine, And bread which strengthens man’s heart.”

 

Psalm 113:7 “He raises the poor out of the dust, And lifts the needy out of the ash heap.”  

 

Psalm 113:9 “He grants the barren woman a home, Like a joyful mother of children. Praise the Lord!” 

 

 

God’s Righteousness

By all the scriptures above, we see that God is good. This was acknowledged by the Psalmists even before the finished work of Christ at the cross. They knew then that God is good. We have an even greater revelation of God’s goodness: the privilege of receiving right-standing with Him. God freely gives us His gift of salvation and He freely loads us with daily blessings. We can’t earn this or work for it. We receive the benefits of God because of His goodness. Hebrews 1:2 tells us that “(God) has in these last days spoken to us by His Son…” By believing and confessing the finished work of Jesus at the cross, we receive right standing with God. This “right-standing” is called “righteousness,” it comes through our faith in the Lord Jesus the Christ (the Anointed One, the Messiah).

2 Corinthians 5:21 “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

 Scriptures teach that Jesus was the incarnate Christ, the true Son and visible representation of the invisible God. Scriptures further teach that He gave His life on the cross, as a sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin, and that He arose from the dead on the third day and He is seated at the right hand of the Father.

2 Corinthians 4:4 “…Christ, who is the image of God…”

Colossians 1:15 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.”

Hebrews 1:3 “(His Son) who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person…”

 

Our “Good Works” are to glorify Him

Our goodness is a gift from God. Our salvation was provided by God’s kindness not by any good works that we could possibly do to earn it. Our inclination to perform good works is a result of our gratitude towards God for giving us this free gift of righteousness.

Once inclined to do good works, as a response to the goodness of God, the Bible encourages us to show goodness, so that God will be glorified!

 

Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father.”

 

1 Peter 2:12 “having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.”

The above passage is expressed in a different way in The Message Bible Translation by Eugene H. Peterson:

1 Peter 2: 11-12The Message (MSG)

^11-12 Friends, this world is not your home, so don’t make yourselves cozy in it. Don’t indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they’ll be won over to God’s side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives.

 

 

Goodness in the Old Testament

In the Old Testament, God repeatedly told His people to practice goodness among each other:  Isaiah 1:17 “Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless; Plead for the widow; The Israelites were so pleased with themselves, bragging that they had observed all the “fasts” and the Holy Days, but God let them know that the kind of “fast” He requires is that we stop exploiting the poor, feed the hungry, and give shelter and clothing to those who go without. He told the Israelites (and by extension, us) to look out for the most vulnerable members of society: the widows, the orphans, and exploited workers.

Isaiah 58:6-7 “Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh?”

 

 

 

John the Baptist’s Instructions in Goodness

When John the Baptist began his ministry beside the Jordan River, he preached a message of repentance. Although this was before Jesus’ ministry began, John told the people that someone mightier than him would be coming, but for now to repent and be baptized.  The people wanted to know what they could do to show that they had received salvation through repentance. John gave them specific and active acts of goodness spelled out to each person in their particular situation. To repent simply means to “change your mind.” John encouraged specific people to show how they had “changed their minds” through performing specific acts. Note that these acts all have to do with justice and generosity. He tells the person with two sets of clothes to share one. He tells the tax collectors to stop cheating the people. He tells the soldiers to stop trying to collect bribes by intimidation.

 

To the person who had abundance: Luke 3:11 “…He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.”

 

To the tax collector: Luke 3:13 “…collect no more than what is appointed for you.”

 

To the soldier: Luke 3:14 “…do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.”

 

 

 

Jesus’ Compassion for People

Jesus’ compassion for people is evidenced by His willingness to sacrifice His life so that we can be free from both the penalty and the bondage of sin. During His ministry as a human being on earth, he also demonstrated His love for us by His teachings, His healings, and His miracles of abundance. In Matthew 14, Jesus heard about the death of John the Baptist. Jesus left the crowds in order to spend some time alone. Verse 13 says that although He left by boat, people found out where He went and followed on foot to find Him. Although He left to spend time alone (in response to His hearing about the death of John the Baptist), once He saw the crowd of people, according Matthew 14:14-21, He not only healed their sick, He also miraculously provided food for about five thousand men, besides women and children. Verse 14: “And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.” This same compassion led Jesus to feed the people. These miracles of healing and miracle of abundance are from the same place: His heart of love. This particular miracle of abundance is recorded in all four Gospels:

Matthew 14:13-21

Mark 6:36-44

Luke 9:11-17

John 6:5-13

Just one chapter over, in Matthew 15:29-38, the same thing happens again, first there is healing, and then there is feeding. In this instance, Jesus had just had the exchange with the Canaanite woman and had healed her daughter then, “Jesus departed from there, skirted the Sea of Galilee, and went up on the mountain and sat down there. Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, muted, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them. So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel. Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.”  Verse 38 tells us “Now those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.” This second set of healings and miracle of abundance are also recorded in Mark 8:1-9 and Luke 9:12-17

 

The above miracles of healing and abundance show Jesus’ love for humanity. He also expects us to show love for humanity as well. In Matthew 25, He tells us that when we give food to someone who is hungry, we’re giving it to Him. We’re quenching His thirst when we give the thirsty something to drink. What we do for the “least of these” we’re doing for Him.

Matthew 25:34-40 “Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come , you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, “Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see you a stranger and take You in or naked and clothe You?’ And the king will answer, “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.”

 

After the death and resurrection of Christ, Paul wrote in many of the letters to various churches, and to us, The Church, that we are to maintain good works that show that we indeed God’s people.

Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

 

“Goodness” is a fruit of the Spirit. It is an attribute of God Himself. Just as He is good to us, we should be careful to show goodness to others. The Bible says that we are to “be imitators of God as dear children (Ephesians 5:1). We must also remember that our so-called “acts of goodness” must begin in love, a deep tender feeling of concern for the well-being of others. Remember in the “love chapter,” 1 Corinthians 13, Paul wrote in verse 3, “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor…but have not love, it profits me nothing.” The fruit of the Spirit is love, it is the evidence that God’s Holy Spirit living inside.

 

 

 

 

Temperance is Self-Control

Temperance is Self-control

The King James Version of the Bible calls the last fruit of the Spirit “temperance,” which is defined as moderation and self-restraint, as in behavior. Newer translations call this fruit “self-control,” which is control of one’s emotions, desires, or actions by one’s own will. Right up front, I’m going to admit that I struggle with self-control. My thoughts are sometimes evil and vindictive. Wrong words sometimes fly right out of my mouth. Certainly some of my actions do not reflect the light of Christ, and my emotions can roam all over the place. Not only do I have issues with self-control, I have a hard time understanding “self-control” as a fruit of the Spirit. All through the Bible we read that God Himself has made the atonement for our sin, God Himself will transform us into the image of His Son; God Himself will complete the good work He is performing in us. Why is the ball back in my court?

Philippians 2:12-13 “…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”

This verse seems to say two opposite things: work it out yourself and God is working. Perhaps this issue is similar to the way we’ve looked at the fruit of “goodness.” Our “goodness” is a response to God’s great love. Remember when John the Baptist preached to the people at the Jordan River, they actually asked him what they could do to show their repentance. See Luke 3:10, 12, and 14. Later, in the book of Acts after the Day of Pentecost, the people asked Peter what they could do, after they were “cut to the heart” after his preaching in Acts 2:37. From these two examples, it appears that as people, we need to find a way to respond to God’s work of redemption. Even though it’s confusing, perhaps there is a balance that can be reached between “simply accepting God’s finished work” and “responding to that work by practicing self-control.”

 

 In spite of my own difficulty in understanding “self-control” as a fruit of the Spirit  (and perhaps an immature evasion of taking responsibility for my own actions,) I will try to discuss what the Bible says about self-control, using examples of controlling our anger, controlling our thoughts, and controlling our words.  

The fruit of the Spirit is love. The other attributes included in love are joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. In discussing “self-control” as a fruit of the Holy Spirit, we have to remember what love is, as defined in 1 Corinthians 13: “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, keeps no account of evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things endures all things.’

 

 God’s Restraint in Dealing with Us

Psalm 78:38 “But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, And did not destroy them. Yes, many a time He turned His anger away.”

 

Psalm 103: 8-10 “The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities.”

 

In Exodus 32, after Moses came down from the mountain and the people had made a golden calf to worship, God said to Moses in Exodus 32:10 “Now therefore, let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them…” 11. Then Moses pleaded with the LORD his God, and said… 12. …Turn from your fierce wrath and relent from this harm to Your people.” Yes, Moses talked back to God. Verse 14 says, “So the LORD relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people.”

 

Joel 2:13 “…For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm.”

 

In Jonah 4, Jonah was so mad that the people of Nineveh weren’t destroyed. Jonah  complained to God that the reason he didn’t want to go to Nineveh in the first place was because he knew that God would change His mind and spare the people.

Jonah 4:2 “So he prayed to the LORD and said, “Ah, LORD, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tar’shish; for I know that you are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm.”

 

 

If our Heavenly Father turned His righteous anger away from us over and over, surely we at least, try to control our mostly unrighteous anger away from each other. Ephesians 5:1 says, “Be imitators of God as dear children.”

 

Be Slow to Anger

 

Psalm 37:8 “Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret – it only causes harm.”

 

Proverbs 14:17 “A quick-tempered man acts foolishly…”

 

Proverbs 16:32 “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty…”

 

Proverbs 19:11 “Good sense makes one slow to anger.”

 

 

James 1: 19-20 “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”

 

 

 Anger at the lack of Love and the Lack of Respect

 

Jesus displayed righteous anger both when He healed the man with the withered hand and when He turned over the tables of the money-changers in the Temple.

 

Mark 3: 1-5 “And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. And He said to the man with the withered hand, “Step forward.” Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.”

 

Matthew 21:12-13 “Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, “It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.”

 

Keeping in mind the above references to the righteous anger of Jesus, both for the lack of compassion shown by the religious leaders and the disregard for God’s house, the Bible teaches us that yes there is anger, but we’re to be careful that anger doesn’t cause us to sin. Psalm 4:4 says, “Be angry and do not sin…”  Ephesians 4:26 says “Be angry and do not sin, do not let the sun go down on your wrath.” Our righteous anger is justified when we see people behaving in a way that is unloving and disrespectful. Even then, we are not to carry our anger into the next day and beyond.

 

 

The Bible Says to Control Our Thoughts

 We can practice self-control by controlling our thoughts. The Bible says we can actually choose what to think about.

 

2 Corinthians 10:5 says we can “bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”

 

Philippians 4:8 “…whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things.”

 

When we bring our thoughts back to the obedience of Christ, we’re not just using will power; we’re using the truth of God’s word. In the Old Testament, Jeremiah, even though he was suffering, hence the title “Lamentations,” he reminded himself:

Lamentations 3:21 “This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope.” He reminded himself that even though his country was being destroyed, it was through God’s mercy, that he hasn’t been destroyed. And in fact God’s mercies are renewed every morning.

 

Controlling Our Words

When I first thought about the issue of controlling our words, I was thinking in terms of not lashing out in anger against people. Restraining angry words is a legitimate form of self-control; however, there is a bigger issue at hand: controlling words in general. I talk too much. I even go before God in prayer with my whole laundry list of requests, not realizing that I am “before the throne of grace” and I need to give Him reverence. Yes, Jesus told us that we could “ask, seek, knock” in Matthew 7:7 and the writer of Hebrews 4:16 said, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” However, I know that I also need to heed the wisdom of Ecclesiastes 3:7 “(There is) a time to keep silence and a time to speak.” I need to take the time to acknowledge that I’ve entered God’s presence in prayer and that He is Holy.

 

Not only do I talk too much in prayer, I talk too much to people. I often want to join in conversation by showing that I too, know something about this topic. Or that I too, agree with what the other person is saying and I have my two cents to contribute.  I talk to people about other people. I hear myself saying things like “I’m not saying this to be critical, but…” or “Please don’t tell anyone else this, because she told me in confidence, but…” I used to work with people who began their sentences with, “Not for nothing, but…” This was always followed by some juicy tidbit about someone else, which was rarely flattering.

Proverbs 10:19 “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise.”

 

Proverbs 21:23 “Whoever guards his mouth and tongue Keeps his soul from troubles.”

 

Proverbs 29:11 “A fool vents all his feelings, But a wise man holds them back.”

 

James 3:2-5 “…If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.” (In verses 3 and 4, James gives examples of how a bit in a horse’s mouth makes the horse obey us and we can control where they turn and how a rudder on a ship can turn the whole ship.) 4. Even so, the tongue is a little member and boasts great things…”

 

There are two different definitions for the word discretion:

1. The quality of behaving or speaking in such a way as to avoid causing offense or revealing private information.
2. The freedom to decide what should be done in a particular situation.

These two seemingly very different definitions sum up self-control. The first definition tells us we are to behave, think and speak in a way that causes no offense to God or to people. We are to use discretion and not reveal people’s secrets. The second definition tells us that yes we have freedom in Christ, (whom the Son made free is free indeed,) but we’re to use our freedom to exercise restraint in our words, thoughts, and actions, as a response to God’s great love for us.

 

 

 

 

Number Five is Kindness

 

The fifth fruit named in the fruit of the Spirit in the King James Version of Galatians 5:22 is gentleness. However, many other translations including the New King James Version, the New Living Translation, the New International Version, and the Amplified Bible all use the word “kindness” in this position. We know that God Himself is kind.

 

Psalm 117:2 For His merciful kindness is great toward us, and the truth of the Lord endures forever.

 

Joel 2:13 “…Return to the Lord your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm.”

 

Titus 3:4-5 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared,  not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us.”

 

Kind Words

Kindness is defined as the quality of being friendly, generous, considerate, warm, and sympathetic. One of the basic ways to show kindness is through kind words. We were taught as young children to say please and thank-you. We can further show kindness with our words by saying encouraging words, expressing words of sympathy for those who suffer loss, and by using our words to give compliments. (This is not to be confused with flattery, which is usually given from a self-serving motive). God gave us the gift of speech and we can use our words to bless others. The virtuous woman described in Proverbs 31 is said to speak with kindness:

 

Proverbs 31:26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the law of kindness.

 

Kindness in Forgiving

Another way to show kindness is to forgive. The very first fruit of the Spirit is love. In 1 Corinthians 13, the Love Chapter, we see that kindness is a quality of love.

1 Corinthians 13:4 “Love suffers long and is kind…”

To suffer long is to accept that people are sometimes rude and inconsiderate and we are to take their bad behavior towards us and respond to it with kindness. This isn’t always easy to do but the Bible says we are to forgive. When Jesus taught the disciples to pray in Matthew 6, He actually made forgiving people a direct condition for us to receive forgiveness from God.

 

Matthew 6: 14-15 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

 

Luke 17: 3-5 “Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him. And the apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith.’”

 

After hearing that they might have to forgive the same person seven times in one day, the disciples’ response was, “Increase our faith.” They knew that having a forgiving heart was something that would take an increase in faith in God. Only God could give us the strength to become forgivers.

 

Ephesians 4:32 “and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”

 

Ephesians 5:1-2 “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God…”

 

Kind Thoughts

Perhaps our problem is not actually holding something against someone; perhaps it’s just being ungenerous with our thoughts towards them. Every once in a while, I’ll hear someone say something, and think, “She’s only saying that because…” Sometimes we have ungenerous thoughts toward our own pastor, thinking, “Oh, he only said that because he was mad because…” Why are we so suspicious of each other? What would we lose if we just gave people the benefit of the doubt?

 

The Love Chapter, 1 Corinthians 13:5 says that “(love)…thinks no evil.” Another translation says “keeps no accounts of evil.” Verse 7 goes further, saying, “(love) “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” The Message Translation says “always looks for the best.”

 The Bible says that the measure that we use to judge someone is the same measure by which we will be judged. In a verse that I always thought had to do with giving and receiving money, my pastor pointed out that this verse actually has to do with how we regard each other.

 

Luke 6:37-38 “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

 

Being Patient with Others Shows Kindness

We also show kindness when we show patience. I want my grown daughters and my grandchildren to do certain things, and often say things like, “Well how come you didn’t call the company? Five days later I might say, “Did you call the company yet? How come you didn’t just call?” When I hear myself doing this, I know that even though I’m looking for them to receive any advantage due them, I am acting in a way of control. I read someplace lately that we have to set people free. Of course we wouldn’t our children to hurt themselves or commit any crimes, but we have to learn that when it comes to their lives, we have to set them free. Good advice can be given. When it becomes annoying, we have to stop. Being patient, letting our adult children make their own decisions, is a way of showing kindness.

We also show kindness when we respect people’s opinions. My son-in-law and I had a huge debate at the end of my recent visit to my daughter’s house. This debate, and the intensity of emotion it brought about, left a mar on my visit. I see that I was not acting in kindness. Sometimes we’re so certain that we’re right about something and the other person is wrong, we forget that we’re suppose to reflect the spirit of Christ. This is true especially as we try to witness to people about salvation. If we come off like a big know-it- all, people are just not interested. We have to witness in love, and if we feel like we are crossing the line into debate, we have to be able to graciously end the conversation on a good note.

We also have the opportunity to show kindness in our daily lives as we interact with the public.  I worked in customer service for over twenty years. It always seemed that the people who were the most impatient while waiting in line were people who said they were Christians. I do know that as Christians, we aren’t going to perfectly portray Christ every day of our lives; however, it is a poor witness to sigh aloud and say mean things about the clerks while we’re in line waiting for a service. Kindness is a fruit of the Spirit. Any time we have a chance to let our lights shine, we should. Hold the door for someone, smile at someone, at the very least, don’t scowl.

 

Kindness in Giving

We’ve been discussing “giving” all along. Showing kindness means giving: giving the benefit of the doubt, giving courtesy, giving encouragement, giving a smile or a friendly gesture. But there is another kind of giving: giving time and giving money. In all honesty, we have a problem with giving. We don’t want to give to a homeless person begging on the street because we think they might be a con-artist. We don’t want to give to charities because we think that the charity itself is not run efficiently. (My favorite: Why don’t they get money from the rich people?)  We don’t want to give at church, asking each other, “What are they doing with all that money?” Churches won’t give to charities because trustee boards feel that the church is barely staying afloat itself, so how can we give to others?

 All through the Bible we are told to give to the poor. We’re told to share. I see that I need to pray and ask God to make me a “cheerful giver” as described in 2 Corinthians 9:7. I see that the hesitation to give is completely wrapped up in fear: the fear that I won’t have enough for myself, the fear that other people aren’t giving and that would make me a “sucker” if I gave, fear that I am being taken advantage of, fear that churches and charities aren’t using my gifts wisely, and most of all, the fear that I’ve lost all my autonomy and am have become a “religious nut.”

 Jesus said, in Matthew 6:21 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” I want my heart to be with Him, not with my wallet. In the book of Acts, the early church pooled their resources and made sure that no one went without.

Acts 4:34-35 “Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet and they distributed to each as anyone had need.”

Imagine if we had this kind of love among us, to make sure that no one went without. Imagine what we could do for our church bodies, our neighborhoods, and even for international charities. I hate to admit it, but I can’t whole-heartedly say that we’re reflecting the fruit of kindness if we’re not giving.

 The good news is that we can become cheerful givers, and once we do, God will make all grace abound to us and we will have all sufficiency in all things for ourselves and plenty left over so that we can continue to give.  The source of encouragement comes again from 2 Corinthians 9:7-8:

“So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”

 

Patience is a Virtue

 Fourth is Patience

The King James Version of the Bible lists the fourth fruit as “longsuffering.” According to the dictionary, “longsuffering” means patiently enduring wrongs or difficulties. We could go further and say that it means resisting anger and showing patience when dealing with people!! God was surely (and still is) “longsuffering” when it comes to us.

 

Romans 2:4 “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?”

 

Ephesians 4:1-2 “…walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love “

 

1 Corinthians 13:4 “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy, love does not parade itself, is not puffed up.”

 

1Thessalonians 5:14 “…be patient with all.”

 

Patience Involves Perseverance.

Perseverance is defined as steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.

 

  Romans chapter five begins by telling us that we have peace with God and we can rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Then Paul writes,

Romans 5: 3-5 “And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character, and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

Glory in tribulations? Who likes trouble? Yet this is what the Bible says. Trouble teaches us how to keep moving forward in spite of the difficulty or delay in achieving success. This steadfastness produces character and character produces hope.

The definition of hope is “the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best.” Another definition is “a person or thing in which expectations are centered.” This definition applies to us, believers in the salvation given by the finished work of our Lord, Jesus Christ. He is the person in which are expectations are centered. He expressed this before He went to the cross.

John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

 

 

 

Patience involves waiting.

Patience is not apathy. It is waiting with the confident expectation of good. The Bible says that all the promises of God in Christ are Yes, and in Christ, Amen. (2 Corinthians 1:20)

 

Job, who had been through more than any one person should be able to take, even though his friends said he must have sinned, answered that after everything, he would still wait.

 

Job 14:14 “…All the days of my hard service I will wait, Till my change comes.”

 

Psalm 27:14 “Wait on the Lord, Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!”

David, in the Psalm 37 begins the Psalm telling us not to fret because of evildoers nor to be envious of those who appear to prosper while they’re doing wrong.

Psalm 37:7 “Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him…”

 

 Isaiah 40:31 tells us, “But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.”

 

Luke 21:19 “By your patience possess your souls.”

 

James 1:2-3 “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

 

James 5:7 says, “…See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it…”

 

1Thessalonians 5:14 “Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.

 

I have such a hard time with patience. I know that God is “completing the good work He started in me and will keep completing it until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 1:6). We have to have patience while God works out our trials and we have to be patient while God transforms us into the image of His Son. This work God started is an ongoing work. He started it and He’s fine-tuning it.  Patience is standing – not standing still- but standing in agreement with what God says He will perform. The Bible says that we are seated with Christ in the heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6) and that we are already blessed with every spiritual blessing according to Ephesians 1:3.

 One way to cultivate patience is to constantly recall the way God has moved on our behalf in the past. Jeremiah did this in the book of Lamentations. His people were in the midst of destruction and captivity and Jeremiah rightly “laments” his grief.

Lamentations 3: 17 “You have moved my soul far from peace; I have forgotten prosperity.” Yet by the time we get to verse 21, we have Jeremiah “remembering” his source of hope.

Lamentations 3: 21-26 “This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, says my soul. Therefore I have hope in Him. The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him.”

 

Patience is a Virtue?

This phrase is supposedly taken from an epic poem from the fifth century. Whether or not the poem itself is based on any Biblical principle isn’t clear. What is clear is that when the woman with the issue of blood “snuck up on Jesus and touched the hem of his garment,” He responded, “Some virtue has gone out of me.” Now the word virtue is defined as “high moral standards.” For Jesus to say some of his “high moral standard” has gone out of him is to say that part of His goodness was extended to this woman because of her faith. 

Mark 5:30 “And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of Him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?”

Interestingly enough, the New King James Version says, “some power had gone out of Him.” So now we can say that patience is goodness and patience is power.

 

Having Patience leads to peace with people

Galatians 5:22 begins with “the fruit of the Spirit is love.” Love is listed first in the attributes of living a life influenced by the Holy Spirit. Love can be thought of as number one on the list or love can be thought of “the fruit” itself, with the rest just being evidences of love. We see that 1 Corinthians 13 is often called “the love chapter.” And we see in 1 Corinthians 13:4 that “love suffers long and is kind.” As we relate to others and interact with them, we have to extend patience. Everyone is not going to think what we think or agree with what we say. Everyone is not going to act the way we think they should act or do the things we think they should do. We have to respect people enough to not jump in with our opinions while they’re talking. Even if we believe that we are right, we have to have the patience to hear people out and to allow them to live the way they see fit. Even when we’re trying to tell them about God’s goodness, we have to be sure that we are speaking in love, not in our own “rightness.” A lack of patience and a lack of tolerance for the opinions of others lead people to tune out any message of the gospel. God is certainly patient with us, let’s be patient with everyone.

 

 

Peace Within and Peace With Others

           Peace With People

Mark 9:50 “…have peace with one another.”
Romans 12:18 ^“If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men”
Hebrews 12:14 “Pursue peace with all people…”

In order to have peace with people, we must revisit the “Love Chapter” which is 1 Corinthians 13, specifically verses 4-7:

“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, it is not puffed up. Does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Here is 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 from the Message translation:

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

Peace with people requires love. We must love God, love people, and love ourselves. We demonstrate this love by taking the form of a servant rather than a master.
(See Mark 9:35 “…If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”) We

humble ourselves, not forcing our opinions on others, nor despising the other’s opinions. Peace demands that we leave vengeance to God, who will right all wrongs in His time.

Romans 12:19 “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.”
It’s not our job to “set the record straight” or fight for what we think rightfully belongs to us. Unfortunately, the church is full of examples of the absence of peace. It’s not our job to judge the world; we’d do better to make sure that we as individuals are walking in a way that reflects the Holy Spirit. It is absolutely necessary that we forgive when we feel that we’ve been wronged. It is absolutely necessary that we refuse to find a scapegoat when things don’t go our way. There are things in life that aren’t going to go our way. Sometimes it’s our own fault and sometimes it is someone else’s fault. But in that case, we have to forgive them (and forgive ourselves) and move on.


The passage in Galatians 5 that describe the fruit of the spirit, begins with what is not of the spirit but of the “flesh” Note that although these verses speak of many things including sexual immorality and even murder, the emphasis is on the fact that these “works of the flesh” are the polar opposites of the Fruit of the Spirit listed in verses 22 and 23. This list in verses 19-21 includes hatred, contentions outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, and dissentions. Galatians 5 concludes with

“Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”

We’re to pursue peace, seek it, look for it, and find a way to maintain inner contentment and peace with other people. Obviously, if I’ve been working on controlling my temper, forgiving others of real or perceived injustices, refusing to hold a grudge, I can accomplish a certain amount of peace in my relationships with others. Romans 12:18 says “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.”

This verse indicates that there are times when it’s not possible and there are times that the situation doesn’t depend on just my own peaceful state. As good as the word “peace” sounds, it could end up being unattained, or perhaps attained in an unpeaceful way. When we see someone being taken advantage of, are we to ignore it just for the sake of peace? Peace is a fruit of the Spirit listed with love and goodness. Sometimes we actually have to work to ensure goodness for others. There’s a slogan often used in civil protests that says, “No justice, No peace.” There is no peace for a given society if portions of the society fell their rights are trampled upon. Remember what God said to His people:

Isaiah 58:6-7:

“Is this not the fast that I have chosen:
To loose the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the heavy burdens,
To let the oppressed go free,
And that you break every yoke?
⁷ Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;
When you see the naked, that you cover him,
And not hide yourself from your own flesh?       
The people were so proud of themselves, bragging that they have observed their “fasts.”They followed a religious “practice” of abstaining from food for a period of time. God responded that the kind of “fast” He wants is for us to free those that are unjustly imprisoned, provide the poor with food, clothing housing and opportunities. In other words, He wants us to share. He wants us to treat people right. He gave us His peace when He gave us His own Son. We can spread His peace to others when we act in true justice.