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and they shall call His name Immanuel

Self-control seems like a straightforward concept, but the more I look into it the more aspects I discover, and self-control can be a difficult characteristic of Christlikeness to grasp. It is the Spirit Who gives believer this self-control, so how is it self-control?  Examples from my own life, when coupled with scripture, helped me to understand this characteristic better.

A year ago, I had several arborvitae trees removed. The landscaper felt uneasy about buried pipes, so I told him to cut the trees off at the ground, and I’d take care of the stumps. He advised me to drill several holes in each stump, fill the holes with a certain tree-kill product, wait a few months for the stumps to rot, and dig them up.

After a few months, the stumps remained as hard as rocks. I drilled more holes, filled them with the product and waited. In the interim, I bought a mattock (think a cross between a hoe and an axe.) Recently, I grabbed my new tool to test it on one of the stumps. The stump, though dead, seemed as resilient as ever.

As I dug (also, see my post for 5/02/18, “Plow Around the Stump”), I discovered the roots had become brittle, and I could break them with the mattock. In about a half hour, the stump came free! I had to work at it, but I had one less stump to remove, and I learned an important lesson.

Before my success with this stump, I thought the stumps would be almost impossible for me to remove. I couldn’t see it from the surface, but the underlying roots holding the stump in the ground were dead and brittle, making them easier to loosen and break with my mattock. My assumption had been wrong, but I still had to fight the stump to remove it.

After I cleaned up, I poured a cup of coffee, and sat down in a quiet place to consider the experience. I think God works in my life like this. I can’t always see His hand at work, but I need to trust Him, and believe He’s “getting at the root” of the problems I face, to bless me.

Also, I realize God sometimes requires me to fight for blessings He has given. In my experience, people don’t always place a high value on that which is easily obtained. When we have to struggle to obtain something, do we value it more, or do we fight for something because we value it, or both? I recall some memories.

In third grade, I admired my teacher, Mrs. Ross. About halfway through the school year, she called me to her desk, and told me she had to give me a “C-minus” on my spelling. I’ll never forget the look of disappointment on her face, as she handed me a number of my past spelling test papers. I went back to my desk and reviewed the tests. For some, half my answers were marked as misspelled. I recognized my handwriting, but I couldn’t remember taking any of the tests! I realized I hadn’t cared about them, and I had made Mrs. Ross feel bad. From that day forward, I studied my spelling with diligence, and aced every test. My reward? Mrs. Ross smiled at my test performance, and as a side benefit, I became a pretty good speller. God had used my admiration for Mrs. Ross to open my eyes to learning, but I still had to study hard; I still had to fight for it.

Also, I recalled the following year, when I was 9 years old, I began piano lessons, and continued for the next 5 years, until my parents moved. I would practice my Hanon exercises until my forearms ached. I wanted to play better, but the real reward was to please my piano teacher, Norma Mattos. I considered her a wonderful person, and she always made my lessons a joy, so enduring the pain was a small price to pay, if it made her happy. Norma taught me how to play, but to put it to use, I had to discipline myself to practice.

In the Bible, the book of Joshua recounts how the Israelites were given the Promised Land by God, but He didn’t hand it to them without any effort. They had to fight for every square inch and found victory so long as they leaned upon God in faith.

I believe, for Christians, self-control is like this. We have to fight for it. I’m speaking of the self-control as a characteristic of the fruit of the Spirit, which Paul described in Scripture.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23, NASB.)

During the Christmas season, it’s easy to spot excess, whether people eating too much food, engaging in revelry with friends, buying gifts and loading up on debt. When Candace bakes for friends, neighbors, or gatherings, I’m happy to sacrifice my time, to help out with taste testing. Glad to help dear! But alas, this doesn’t help my waistline.

Scripture tells us believers struggle with self-control because we are at war with our old nature. The Apostle Paul struggled with control of sin.

^“We know that the Law is spiritual, but I am a creature of the flesh [worldly, self-reliant—carnal and unspiritual], sold into slavery to sin [and serving under its control]. For I do not understand my own actions [I am baffled and bewildered by them]. I do not practice what I want to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate [and yielding to my human nature, my worldliness—my sinful capacity]” (Romans 7:14-15, AMP.)

This point is also driven home in I John:

“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (I John 1:8, ESV.)

Sin sounds like a problem not easily overcome. I know this struggle is true for me, but I also know from God’s Word, as a Christian, I don’t win this battle in my own strength. The truth is that we are born in sin, and unable to make ourselves righteous or self-controlled (sorry, Pelagius.)

Still, there exists a pervasive attitude in secular society, and even among some Christians, that says, “What the mind can conceive the will can accomplish.” Whenever I see one of those “superhero” ads, I think, “Okay, then let’s see you put on your best jumping shoes and leap over your house.” Don’t think so. So, maybe we can’t do anything we believe we can.

Here’s the good news. We have a Savior, and “all things are possible” with Him (Matthew 19:26.) He understands us.

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15, ESV.)

In this Advent season, when we think about the birth of the Christ child, I recall the gifts that the Magi brought before Him. Gold spoke of His royalty, frankincense of His Deity, but myrrh was used in the preparation of the deceased for burial. Could this have been a reference to the fact Jesus came in the flesh to die on a cross for our sins? Even more, could the myrrh have shown us that His followers would also have to die for Him? The Word says,  

“I have been crucified with Christ [that is, in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith [by adhering to, relying on, and completely trusting] in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” (Galatians 2:20, AMP.)

Gold, frankincense, and myrrh; King, God, and Savior. Believers are called to die to themselves, to be self-controlled, but in the power of Christ living in us, and not in our own power. This way, we’ll succeed at living Godly, self-controlled lives, but since we’re doing it in God’s strength, He’ll get the glory, and that should bring us joy.

 ^“For it is [not your strength, but it is] God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13, AMP.)

But what does this look like from ground level? How do I, as a Christian, practice self-control, when this is a fruit cultivated in me by the Spirit, and I put it to use in my life for Christ in His strength, and not in my own? “Self”-control, what a contradiction in terms!

John Piper gave an answer to this dilemma in a sermon. He called his solution A.P.T.A.T., which stands for Admit, Pray, Trust, Act, Thank. (J. I. Packer, gave similar steps in his book, Keep in Step with the Spirit, c. 1984, pp. 125-126.) Admit you can do nothing without Christ; pray for God’s help for the task at hand; trust in a particular promise of God’s help; then, in faith, act; finally, thank God for the help received. John Piper believes the middle step, trust, is all-important. Claim a promise from scripture, and act while trusting in the promise.

One I use is, II Corinthians 9:8, “And God is able to make all grace overflow to you, so that, always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;” (NASB.)

Jesus demonstrated perfect self-control; he was obedient to the point of death on the cross. He was treated with cruelty, and when He was arrested at Gethsemane, He could have called down legions of angels, but He remained obedient to the Father (Matthew 26:53.)

So the Spirit cultivates this Christ-like characteristic, self-control, in every believer. What a mystery, and what a wonderful truth! But again, we must fight for it, and trust God in this. The world is filled with temptations and evil that seeks to destroy our faith.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control. Love is the door to the fruit of the Spirit and growing in Christlikeness, and self-control is the door by which Christ can walk through us to draw others unto Himself.

The first Christmas morning, the shepherds witnessed, “And the angel said unto them, ‘Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all the people’” (Luke 2:10, ASV.)

There’s a classic hymn, titled “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms” (E. A. Hoffman, 1887.) The first chorus reads, “What a fellowship, what a joy divine, leaning on the Everlasting Arms! What a blessedness, what a peace is mine, leaning on the Everlasting Arms!”

There’s a saying, “You can’t dig a hole while leaning on a shovel.” Are you leaning on a shovel?

Or are you leaning on the Everlasting Arms?

Selah.

I have a boyhood memory of a Sunday afternoon, when my sister, Judy, and I decided to go exploring on our bicycles. A few puffy clouds lingered from a rainstorm the night before. Neglecting to tell Mom or Dad, we set off. There were several sandlots in the neighborhood, and we found a large one, and decided to play “island hopping.”

Numerous puddles dotted the lot, and we hopped from island to island as far as possible without getting our shoes wet. We’d been gone more than an hour, when we spotted Dad in his truck. He screeched to a halt and yelled, “You kids get home right now!”

Parking our bikes in the garage, we entered through the kitchen door, and there, coiled on top of Mom’s Singer sewing machine console, lay Dad’s hand-tooled leather belt.

Dad uttered the old sage, “This is going to hurt me more than you.” Banking on that, I whipped up some tears, and after a few straps the spanking stopped. He told us we were never to take off without saying where we were going, and we never did!

Still, I recall many more moments when my dad treated me with gentleness. He carried me on his shoulders, bought me coconut cream pie, taught me how to build furniture, barbeque a steak, and light a campfire. He taught me how to work hard under difficult conditions.

I believe gentleness ranks as one of the most impactful elements of Spiritual fruit, shining the image of Christ through believers so others will want to know Him.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23, NASB.)

However, I think I need to understand God’s severity before I truly appreciate His gentleness. There are several examples in the Bible, but one will suffice:

“This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys’” (I Samuel 15:2-3, NIV.)

That sounds awfully severe to me! Still, in my experience, Christians find the severity of God difficult to accept. But God doesn’t act irrationally. Dr. James I. Packer comments on this:

“The root cause of our unhappiness seems to be a disquieting suspicion that ideas of wrath are in one way or another unworthy of God,” but he goes on to say, “God’s wrath in the Bible is never capricious, self-indulgent, irritable, morally ignoble thing that human anger so often is. It is, instead, a right and necessary moral reaction to objective moral evil. God is only angry where anger is called for” and “God’s wrath in the Bible is always judicial. That is, it is the wrath of the Judge” (Knowing God, J. I. Packer, pp. 150-151, c.1973.)

The scriptures tell us we should be happy when we face hardship and persecution:

^“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience” (James 1:2-4, NKJV.)

Okay, but maybe patience is overrated. Telling me I should be joyful when I’m diagnosed with cancer, or I lose my job, or have a serious auto accident sounds a little looney. These things don’t feel good, and no amount of wishing will make the pain go away. So, what is James talking about? The writer of Hebrews explains:

“After all, your fight against sin has not yet meant the shedding of blood, and you have perhaps lost sight of that piece of advice which reminds you of our sonship in God: ‘My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by him; for whom the Lord loves he chastens, and scourges every son whom he receives.’ Bear what you have to bear as ‘chastening’—as God’s dealing with you as sons. No true son ever grows up uncorrected by his father. For if you had no experience of the correction which all sons have to bear you might well doubt the legitimacy of your sonship. After all, when we were children we had fathers who corrected us, and we respected them for it. Can we not much more readily submit to a heavenly Father’s discipline, and learn how to live? (Hebrews 12:5-9, PHILLIPS.)

If I may offer an analogy, I need to tell my Heavenly Father where I’m going before I set off on a bike ride. Just as I should have told my parents where I planned to go, I need to talk to God in prayer about life’s decisions, and when I don’t, He may choose to add a correction, hardship or trial to set me on the right path. He is sovereign over every detail of my life.

Jesus said, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation]. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29, AMP.)

My heart feels so full whenever I read this verse. Jesus spoke the truth boldly, and faced powerful people with unflinching strength, yet, He displayed a life filled with gentleness. The world despises gentleness and humility, but Jesus demonstrated the power of these qualities.

Sometimes I forego gentleness, when my spiritual tank is empty and I’m weak. Lysa Terkeurst, in her wonderful devotional book, Embraced, offers insight from her personal experience:

“I was doing a lot, pouring myself out for God, but not really spending time getting refilled by God. Maybe you can relate?” She continues, “All He asks is that we personally receive from Him before setting out to work for Him. In doing so we are fueled by His power and encouraged by His presence. This is the daily sacred exchange where ministry duty turns into pure delight.”

She adds, “How we must break His heart when we work like we don’t believe He’s capable. We say we trust Him but act like everything depends on us. We give all we have to the tasks at hand with only occasional leftovers of time to slightly acknowledge Him.”

Lysa continues, “Jesus doesn’t participate in the rat race. He’s into the slower rhythms of life like abiding, delighting, and dwelling—all words used to describe being with Him.” She adds, “So He extends what we need and invites us each day to receive in prayer, worship, and truth from His Word.” Lysa concludes, “This is an agenda that’s always completely satisfying” (Embraced: 100 Devotions to Know God Is Holding You Close, pp.19-21, ©2018.)

We can hope, and know joy in Him, because He is our Father. He doesn’t take His eye from us, and our trials remain under His sovereignty.

Mother Teresa said, “Be kind to each other. It is better to commit faults with gentleness than to work miracles with unkindness.”

I would offer gentleness to those I meet today, by the grace of the Holy Spirit. I don’t know their unseen struggles, and rather than pushing them to an alarming edge, I can be their first sign of hope.

            Selah.

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much” (Luke 16:10a, NIV.)

Recently, our church held an outdoor “chili cookoff” event to raise money for mission projects. I was fascinated by dragonflies darting about as we sat at our tables on the lawn. I thought of the faithfulness of those who participated so the Gospel will be spread, but then the sight of dragonflies reminded me: God gives us our faithfulness. I’ll explain.

I remembered a childhood experience. When we were young, my sister and I sometimes rode our bikes to the A&W drive-in for a mug of root beer, costing 10 cents, and then pedaled to the city park, where we would head straight for the swing. The tall swing had sling seats, and chains instead of ropes. I’d work to arc as high as I could. Sometimes, as I slept that night, I would have a wonderful dream where I could leap off the ground and fly with ease. Oh, how I loved those flying dreams! Alas, God didn’t give me wings, or the ability to fly like Superman.

In His wisdom, He bestowed the ability to fly on many of His creatures, such as the remarkable dragonfly. There are over 5,000 species, including skimmers, darners, hawkers, club tails, tiger tails, petal tails, saddlebags and emeralds, and others.

Dragonflies live near water places, like canals, ponds, lakes and rivers, and spend most of their lives as water nymphs, and go through several molts until they shed their final immature skin, leave the water, and transform into the adult flying dynamo we observe. They have two sets of wings that can work independently, and can hover, fly straight up and down, make hairpin turns, and even mate in midair. They can see nearly 360 degrees, and have a 95% success rate in killing their prey. A single dragonfly can eat hundreds of mosquitoes per day!

If a dragonfly can’t fly, it will starve, as they only eat prey they catch in the air. As you can see from their description, God has provided dragonflies with special abilities to suit their needs and thrive. The Bible speaks to God’s sovereignty over all creatures.

“Even birds and animals have much they could teach you; ask the creatures of earth and sea for their wisdom. All of them know that the Lord’s hand made them. It is God who directs the lives of his creatures; everyone’s life is in his power” (Job 12:7-10, GNT.)

God is always faithful and true to His Word. The dragonfly shows us He can be trusted in a little thing, so we can trust Him with all of life’s difficulties, no matter the size. We can rely on Him, and rest assured that He won’t change.

“For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord” (Psalm 33:4, NIV.)

While God is faithful, people, not so much. When troubles come our way, we’re fearful, fickle, have trust issues, doubt what we see with our own eyes, doubt because of what we see with our eyes, and forget Who God is. Despite our lack of faithfulness, God remains faithful.

^“Faithful and absolutely trustworthy is He who is calling you [to Himself for your salvation], and He will do it [He will fulfill His call by making you holy, guarding you, watching over you, and protecting you as His own]” (1 Thessalonians 5:24, AMP.)

So how does the God of all creation make us holy? The Spirit indwells every believer, and works to mold us into the likeness of Christ. He cultivates the fruit of the Spirit in our hearts, including the Christ-like characteristic of faithfulness.

^“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! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives” (Galatians 5:22-25, NLT.)

Changing the believer into Christ-likeness is the sole province of the Spirit. My part is faith, and even that is a gift from God. When I humble myself, and submit to God’s will, and live in obedience to His will, when I choose to trust Him, even when I want something else, I invite the Spirit to cultivate the fruit in me. I mature as a Christian. I shed my old nature, like the dragonfly, and become more Christ-like, including the characteristic of faithfulness. If unbelievers see through us the trustworthy, steadfast nature of our Lord Jesus, unchanging in the hardest of times, some will want Jesus in their lives.

Perhaps, John the Baptist foreshadowed this dynamic of life in Christ

 ^“He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30, KJV.)

Christian, you and I may be the only Christ an unbeliever ever sees, their only opportunity to receive Christ and experience the joy of living for Him.

“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:8-9, NIV.)

Dr. Charles Stanley wrote, “Passing on our faith occurs when we demonstrate openly those truths that we clutch in our hearts. To remain dedicated to the cause of Christ, even when it is difficult, shows that our faith is more than just a passing fancy or another religion. It shows it is a faith worth imitating” (Pathways To His Presence, Charles F Stanley, c. 2006.)

It would be exhilarating to do aerial maneuvers like a dragonfly, but so much more to walk in obedience to the Spirit, so others may see the Savior, Jesus Christ, through me.

Selah.

God speaks through the simple things, and when we pause to listen, we are blessed,.

I have a boyhood memory of a trip with my parents and sister. The car broke down and a man stopped to help us. With the problem resolved, my dad wanted to reimburse him for his assistance, but the man refused, wished us well and quickly left in his car. Dad followed him, to catch him and insist he take the cash, but he disappeared in the city traffic.

I’ve wondered if this man was an angel. Probably, he was a good person who thought of the needs of others, and wanted to help, while not asking for any recognition or reimbursement.

This is how I remember the 1950’s, from the eye of a small boy. Most people were good to each other, and goodness was highly valued and respected.

Robert Louis Stevenson wrote, “There are two things that men should never weary of, goodness and humility; we get none too much of them in this rough world among cold, proud people” (Kidnapped, 1886.)

The Bible tells us all good things come from God.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:17, ESV.)

At the time this childhood memory occurred, people might have referred to a person likethis man who stopped to help as a “good egg,” which meant honest, generous, trustworthy, kind and self-sacrificing. Rudyard Kipling used the expression in Traffics and Discoveries, in 1904.

All of these “good egg” traits come from an uprightness of heart and life. The Bible says goodness is one of the characteristics, the beneficial results, of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23, NASB.)

Sometimes goodness and kindness are thought of as similar. I think of a kind person as friendly, generous and considerate, with a healthy dose of compassion. Goodness includes an emphasis on virtue, doing the right thing, even if it means sacrificing for another when no one is watching. Where kindness steps softly, goodness marches with boots on. I believe both emanate from a person’s heart.

Marching reminds me of another idiom about virtuous and trustworthy people. They’re called the “salt of the earth.” This expression comes from Jesus, and the Sermon on the Mount.

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by people” (Matthew 5:13, NASB.)

Roman soldiers sometimes were paid in salt, because of its value as a preservative. The Latin word for salt is sal, from which we get the English word salary. This idiom is used to describe virtuous people, with basic fundamental goodness. When Jesus used these words, he was speaking to common folk who were fishermen, farmers, and laborers.

I often see displays on social media or in the news, reports of people who are honored for a generous effort or heroic act, with no thought on their part to be recognized. Yet, there are those who attempt to curry favor with the public through a public display of benevolence or other act, and they make sure there’s a photo-op. Jesus said such acts do not benefit the doer.

“And He said to them, ‘You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God’” (Luke 16:15, NKJV.)

When I watch the news, my heart aches. I see good people ridiculed, maligned, harassed, attacked and cancelled. People in leadership ignore laws, align with and promote those who do the attacking, and push aside sound advice, and make decisions based on popularity, rather than what is right and good.

I believe there are people who value goodness, virtue, and doing what’s right, because the Spirit indwells every believer.

In Luke 18:18-19, we are told, “Once a Jewish religious leader asked him this question: ‘Good sir, what shall I do to get to heaven?’ ‘Do you realize what you are saying when you call me good?’ Jesus asked him. ‘Only God is truly good, and no one else’” (TLB.)

When I fail to boldly speak for what is true and right and good by God’s Word, or help someone in need, I doubt the depth of my faith.

Recently, my pastor quoted Paul Tillich, “Doubt isn’t the opposite of faith; it is an element of faith.”

The Holy Spirit indwells believers and works to remake our hearts, to remold us into Christlikeness. No, we are not complete, but we are loved by our Savior nonetheless. When our faith feels insecure, we need to trust Him. Our Heavenly Father doesn’t want our hands, He wants our hearts. When our hearts are His, all else will follow in a way that glorifies Him.

^“But when the goodness and kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared [in human form as the Man, Jesus Christ], He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we have done, but because of His own compassion and mercy, by the cleansing of the new birth (spiritual transformation, regeneration) and renewing by the Holy Spirit,” (Titus 3:4-5, AMP.)

We are the “apple of His eye.” This phrase comes from several verses in the Bible.

            The psalmist said, “Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings” (Psalm 17:8, ESV.)

The “apple” refers to the pupil of the eye. Perhaps you’ve seen your reflection in the pupil of another? God has His loving eyes on us, and we need to trust that He will use us, His children, for His kingdom. But we must be willing, humble and ready to sacrifice so others might be brought into God’s family. Our world is in desperate need of good people who will step forward.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God.” That’s what our part comes down to: willingness to say, “send me.”

That’s something I need to work on, to choose to listen to the urging of the Holy Spirit, and put aside reluctance and fear. Our Lord and Savior pointed the way.

            “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:17, ESV.)

            Selah.

There’s an old adage that says, “Don’t go looking for trouble.” On the surface, that makes sense. There’s enough trouble coming our way without looking for it. Sometimes people say, “I don’t want to trouble you,” as a way to thank you for offering help.

Recently, a neighbor couple welcomed a baby boy. They’ve struggled with the usual demands of an infant. My wife, Candace, and I decided to deliver a dinner, and they were grateful for the meal. Was this trouble? No, I love to cook, and we prepared two meals. So not much trouble, and our dinner in the bargain.

Yesterday, a long-time pastor friend in North Carolina, said as he drove to church this past Sunday, had to turn into a service station parking lot during a severe rainstorm. Another driver missed the entrance and went into a ditch. He said an old man backed his van up to the ditch, and in the pouring rain crawled under the stranded vehicle, hitched to a tow strap to the frame, and pulled the people to safety.

People from all walks of life offer acts of kindness, but besides something a person does, kindness describes an internal characteristic of a person. For Christians, kindness represents a God-directed inward change, and has eternal value.

“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, NLT.)

Kindness makes demands of the one who offers it, but not to gain the favor with people.

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven” (Matt. 6:1, NIV.)

For the hungry child who is fed, it makes no difference to the child whether the person offering food is a believer or not. To have any kingdom value for the one offering kindness, the acts must emanate from a changed heart filled with God’s love. Salvation is the free gift of God to those who believe, and call Christ Jesus Lord. We can’t earn eternal life through good works.

^“If I gave everything I have to poor people, and if I were burned alive for preaching the Gospel but didn’t love others, it would be of no value whatever” (I Corinthians 13:3, TLB.)

I see the opposite of kindness as being “nice,” rather than un-kindness. The word nice has several meanings, but the word comes from the Latin word nescius, meaning “ignorant.” This Latin root insinuates indifference: to encounter someone you can help, but decide not to get “involved,” and remain ignorant of their need. God calls us to do more. James described kindness.

^“Suppose there are brothers or sisters who need clothes and don’t have enough to eat. What good is there in your saying to them, ‘God bless you! Keep warm and eat well!’—if you don’t give them the necessities of life? So it is with faith: if it is alone and includes no actions, then it is dead” (James 2:15-17, GNT.)

Sometimes, kindness demands sacrifice to meet the needs of others. Preparing a dinner for a neighbor may take effort, but it’s not trouble. Trouble comes in when a brother or sister has wronged you, or treated you harshly, and you are called by God to be kind and tenderhearted. Yet, in Christ, there is no love without truth. A kindness may include responding to someone with unwelcome honesty, as God leads, with compassion and tenderness of heart, so as to move their heart toward Him.

Even Jesus showed anger at times (see Matthew 23:27, John 2:13-17, and Mark 3:5), and in so doing, acted with kindness. He pointed people to the path of righteousness. He did not sin in His anger.

^“You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin” (I John 3:5, NASB.)

What about unbelievers? Their behavior comes from a heart with no thought about the watchful eye of God. God demands kindness of His followers toward them as well.

^“If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matt. 5:46-48, NLT.)

Our kindness must copy that of our Father in heaven, coming from agape love. From a changed heart, a heart obedient to Christ and empowered by the Spirit, believers can offer kindness to those who don’t deserve it, to those who rebel against God, because we know we don’t deserve His kindness either. He showed us kindness when we were unbelieving, rebellious sinners, and he expects the same from His children for others.

^“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:4-5, NIV.

Kindness is a characteristic implanted by the Holy Spirit to remake a heart into the likeness of Christ. We can’t grow kindness by ourselves; it’s not in us to do so. Yet, when we act in obedience to God’s Word, when we spend time in prayer, or assemble with other believers, we cultivate the fruit He has implanted. He did this to lead more souls to Christ.

^“Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and restraint and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4, NASB.)

This fills me with wonder. The Holy Spirit faithfully works to reshape every believer more like Christ, so that we will mimic Christ in our lives.

“and walk continually in love [that is, value one another—practice empathy and compassion, unselfishly seeking the best for others], just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to God [slain for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance” (Ephesians 5:2, AMP.)

God wants His followers to meet the needs of others with tenderhearted compassion, forgiveness, and sometimes, sacrifice. He wants us to look for trouble.

Exciting, isn’t it!

Selah.

Elizabeth Taylor once said, “It is strange . . . that the years teach us patience; that the shorter our time, the greater our capacity for waiting.”

I love the smell of bread warm from the oven, but it’s easy to feel impatient waiting to taste it. Just after Easter, my wife, Candace, baked several loaves of Portuguese sweet bread. It’s a family thing. She experimented with several recipes, loaf shapes and cooking times over a three-week period. This was a happy time for me, as I serve as her taste tester. Happy to help out, dear!

Yeast bread requires diligence, and in my humble opinion, qualifies as an art form. Candy’s dough needed to rise twice, once for two hours, punched down, raised for another hour, and baked for a half hour. When one considers the assembling of ingredients and bakeware, and preparation of the mixture, and cleanup, it’s an all-day effort. If the bread doesn’t turn out, it’s a day lost. Except, one learns lessons for the next batch. Each time the bread came out of the oven, I thought of a scripture:

“Let your hope keep you joyful, be patient in your troubles, and pray at all times” (Romans 12:12, GNT.)

Considering the vast amount of heartache everywhere over the past year of the pandemic, I suppose it’s trivial to view waiting for warm bread as “trouble.” Still, to focus on warm bread feels like a return to some normalcy. Not a bad thing.

I’m referring to patience, one of the characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit, which the Lord uses to mold every Christian into the likeness of Christ.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23, NASB.)

Recently, I decided to paint our master bathroom. We managed to navigate the choice of colors for the walls, trim and cabinets, a major feat in itself. I have plenty of chores to do around the house, but I longed for something creative, and a professional painter’s estimate inspired me to conclude, with a little effort and the price of paint, I could save a lot of money.

Then the corner tub happened: how to paint a corner ceiling over a slippery, slanted, triangular bathtub. I got the job done, but not before I pulled off a balancing act, especially cutting in the edges.

I think the first four letters of the word paint spell “pain” for a reason. The root of the word paint comes from Latin, peig, or peik, Proto-Indo-European root meaning “to cut, mark by incision,” hence, “embroider, paint” (from etymonline.com.)

Trying to save time, I carelessly spilled paint on the tile floor as my wife, Candace, entered. She spotted the mess and asked, “What did you do?” I replied, dejectedly, “Does it matter?” Candace helped me to clean up my mess, and she didn’t offer any further complaint. Now that’s a good example of forgiving a mistake!

James wrote, ^“My friends, consider yourselves fortunate when all kinds of trials come your way, for you know that when your faith succeeds in facing such trials, the result is the ability to endure. Make sure that your endurance carries you all the way without failing, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:2-4, GNT.)

All my life I’ve heard people in church remark that one should never ask for patience, because God will send you tribulation. Yet, Jesus affirmed we would have trouble in this life; it’s inescapable.

“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world.” [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding]” (John 16:33, AMP.)

If one substitutes the word “mature” for “perfect” in this scripture translation, I believe it demonstrates a clearer idea of this peace. The indwelling Holy Spirit works to mold us into a closer likeness of Christ.

I think about brothers and sisters who encounter real pain and trouble. How do I help them? I remember when I ran into some hard times, I didn’t endure the trouble with an assured smile on my face, not the first time, nor the second, or the third. Eventually, I learned to trust God more, and that’s something God wants us to learn through our troubles.

^“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4, NKJV.)

Just because someone is capable of exercising patience doesn’t guarantee he or she will do it. As Christians, why should we bother with patience? Consider what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans:

^“Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?” (Romans 2:4, NLT.)

God is merciful, kind, longsuffering and forgiving with us. When Jesus stood before Pilate, and the leading priests accused him, Jesus said nothing.

When I encounter trouble, I want to trust God. When I encounter difficult people, or when I’m the difficult one, I want to trust God. When waiting for His answer, I want to trust God. I place my hope in him. And perhaps, I’ll grow in patience. I praise and thank Him for His patience with me.

So, whether waiting for warm bread in the oven, or for an answer to prayer for a sick friend; whether enduring a painting project or rehab after a surgery; or perhaps, when my wife helps me clean up a paint spill, or I’m censured for my faith in Christ, I hope to glorify Christ with my patience.

“Our help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 124:8, NIV.)

Selah

Seek God in simple things, and find Him there, handing out abundant happiness and hope.

There is an old adage that says, “good fences make good neighbors.” This saying comes from a poem by Robert Frost, titled “Mending Wall” (North of Boston, 1914.) There’s some valid application for this idea. Farmers build fences in order to keep their livestock from wandering onto neighboring farms. It’s a way to respect each other’s property.

Recently, a strong wind blew down our back fence, so we’re going to rebuild a stronger, nicer looking fence, to enhance our back yard landscape. Also, since there’s a large dog with attitude in the neighborhood, the new fence will avoid testy canine visitors.

The Scripture describes different types of peace, but in Galatians 5:22-23, the Apostle Paul wrote about peace with our Christian brothers and sisters, as well as unbelievers.

“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18, NIV.)

Fences between properties can help to keep peace between neighbors, but I don’t think building fences works well to develop relationships, especially for Christians.

In my experience, the opposite is true in relationships, and the emotional or social walls we construct do not serve to increase understanding and friendship, and when we remove barriers and put others needs before our own, trust grows between people. This kind of trust provides the soil for the Spirit to plant the seed of the Gospel in unbelievers. How are we to live our lives among the other believers? Paul wrote about this to the Ephesian church.

“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:1-6, NIV.)

The Word tells us how we are to demonstrate love in the way we interact with other Christians, even in matters where we disagree.

“Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters” (Romans 14:1, NIV.)

At the time the Apostle Paul wrote this, some Jewish Christians found it difficult to abandon all the old requirements of the Law, like eating things considered unclean, while some Gentile believers were sensitive to paganism, like eating meat offered to idols.

Self-sacrificing behavior doesn’t come naturally to us, but only by the indwelling Spirit who continually works to remold our character into the likeness of Christ. As I learn to trust Him, I learn to be at peace with others. Navigating various personalities, each with their own history and understanding of scripture, can seem like a puzzle at times.

The Apostle Paul wrote about this in his letter to the church in Rome: “As for myself, I am perfectly sure on the authority of the Lord Jesus that there is nothing really wrong with eating meat that has been offered to idols. But if someone believes it is wrong, then he shouldn’t do it because for him it is wrong” (Romans 14:14, TLB.)

Christopher J. H. Wright, in his wonderful book, Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit (IVP Books, © 2017, pp. 63-64) says this about the lines we draw between us:

“Romans 14:14 assumes that there is a place for helping people to come to a more mature understanding of what being Christian means, and what it doesn’t mean. All of us need to educate our consciences through on-going study of the scriptures, prayer, and fellowship. That will help us get a better balance between where we can act with maturity and freedom, and where we need to exercise loving restraint and sensitivity. And that is never easy! We often think or say, “Where should we draw the line?” There is no easy answer to that. But let us not be so obsessed with drawing lines that we end up dividing the body of Christ and forgetting the mission we should be doing for him. The love we live by is more important than the lines we draw.”

“The love we live by is more important than the lines we draw.” I can use that for a great motto as to how I interact with others, including those not of the faith. There are differences among Christians, but I believe cultivating peace means we choose not to treat other believers with contempt or condemnation over our differences. We serve the same Lord, and His Spirit binds us into one.

Without question, Christians need to be obedient to God and His Word. Still, it seems to me, we Christians can draw lines between ourselves and unbelievers that create barriers for them to Christ. The Spirit of Christ indwells us, and works through us in wonderful ways we can’t fully understand, to plant the seed of the Gospel in others who need to know Him.

Jesus was moved to anger when He saw people were kept from access to the Father in the temple. People had to buy “clean” animals for sacrifice, and they had to buy them with “clean” temple money, both required an extra fee to the money changers and sellers.

“Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. ‘It is written,’ he said to them, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers’” (Matthew 21:12-13, NIV.)

Distance from God will only produces miserable people, because He is the source of all happiness and peace. As Randy Alcorn puts it, “If we weigh the value of our happiness against the needs of a suffering world, we may suppose we have no right to be unhappy. But the fact is, miserable Christians have nothing to offer a suffering world” (Happiness, Tyndale, p. 33.)

I’ve found peace can prove elusive and tough to achieve with some people, but when we rely on God to show us the way to remove fences between us and others, He can be trusted. Recently, a good friend reminded me of a verse about trusting God. Thank you, my precious friend.

^“For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes in Him [whoever adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Him] will not be disappointed’ [in his expectations]” (Romans 10:11, AMP.)

Tear down old fences. You could make some good neighbors.

Selah.

This post continues my discussion of the nine characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit. Paul mentions joy second.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23, NASB.)

The Free Dictionary defines joy as: (1) a feeling or state of great delight or happiness; keen pleasure; elation; (2) a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; (3) the expression or display of glad feeling; gaiety.

It sounds to me like joy means happiness. I used to think Christian joy didn’t have anything to do with feelings, because I heard other Christians say so. This didn’t really ring true with me, because there were (and still are) times I felt so happy and was moved to tears for the gladness in me, like when I listen to the words of a hymn or song, or take up my guitar and sing to the Lord, contemplate a cross, share a meal with good friends, or watch a sunset from the porch with my wife. I may have trials at the time, but they don’t prohibit my elation when I focus on these good things.

So, as per the title to this post, what do canaries have to do with a Christian? When I feel the song in my heart waning, I take it as a warning: something’s wrong in my relationship with Christ, and I need to take note.

Coal miners used to bring canaries into the coal mines, because they knew toxic gases like carbon monoxide could asphyxiate them, and methane could cause massive explosions. Canaries are especially sensitive to these gases, and so the miners watched the birds, and if they stopped singing and fell to the floor of their cages, the miners knew to escape to fresh air.

In the same way, I believe loss of joy presents a warning for the Christian. Loss of joy is one of the first signs telling you to assess your walk with God and His Word.

Jesus said, “If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full” (John 15:10-11, NASB.)

Billy Sunday said, “If you have no joy in your religion, there’s a leak in your Christianity somewhere.” When my joy fades, I need to ask the Holy Spirit to help me find the leak.

Christopher J. H. Wright, in his wonderful book, Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit, writes, “What brings you joy? What makes your eyes sparkle? What makes your heart leap up and down? What gives you a glow of pleasure and makes you smile, laugh, or whoop out loud and throw your arms up in the air for joy and want to hug everybody around you?” (p. 38.)

This describes exactly what I once felt at a Christian camp; I felt beaten down and emptied, and I prayerfully entered the weekend asking God to restore me. I remember the last evening, in a circle of about fifty participants, all holding hands and praying, and the Spirit moved me, and I let go of the pain. That night I was so filled with joy I wanted to run through the camp “whoop out loud and throw my arms up in the air for joy and hug everybody around me,” and shout praises to God!

Yes, I felt happy, a joy I could only experience and not explain, other than I knew it was from God. I’ve felt this way other times, as God has blessed me with His grace and mercy.

I believe Christian joy is both something you feel, and supernatural from the Spirit, as He indwells every Christian and works to change us into Christlikeness. Worldly happiness is an emotion that is based on worldly things, and so it comes and goes, like a wisp of air.

“That’s why joy, Christian joy as a fruit of the Spirit, is not just an emotion, but flows from the exercise in our minds and wills, of faith in God’s promises in Christ” (C. J. H. Wright, Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit-Growing in Christlikeness, p. 51.)

The Apostle Paul put it this way, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:4-8, NASB.)

This brings me back to the canary: joy.

Jesus said, “Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one is going to take your joy away from you” (John 16:22, NASB.)

This past year, we’ve experienced plenty of things that can draw our eyes away from Jesus, and joy seems in short supply, but Christians do have a source of joy despite circumstances. Whenever I get down about things, I pray to Jesus, read His Word, and remember the wonderful saving work He has done for me on the cross.

I keep a close eye on my canary, my joy, and if he stops singing, it’s time to get on my knees and give thanks, because there may be a leak in my joy, the “toxic gases” of sin, not reading the Bible, and despair will sneak up on me.

The chorus from an old hymn tells us, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of this earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace” (Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, by Helen H. Lemmel.)

May your canary sing and be merry!

Selah.

When we discern God’s love in the simple and everyday blessings permeate our lives.

When I was a boy, Dad liked to barbeque rib steaks on Saturdays, after we returned from a day of fishing. He taught me how to get the coals ready, and eventually how to grill the meat. Dad made a special sauce from off-the-shelf items, and I dubbed it “secret sauce.” I still make it, as it imparts a wonderful savory flavor to beef, pork, or chicken, but it’s no longer a secret I keep.

I said in my last post I intended to explore the fruits of the Spirit. In Galatians, Paul writes,

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22,23, NIV.)

The growth of this fruit gives evidence the Spirit is molding our heart into the likeness of Christ. The Apostle Paul explains we are to walk by the Spirit, and if we allow the power of the Spirit to preside over the way we live, we will truly know the freedom in Christ, and avoid the extremes of legalism and license. This is the “secret sauce” of living in Christ.

^“If we are living now by the Holy Spirit’s power, let us follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives” (Galatians 5:25, TLB.)

First up, love. Volumes have been written about Christian love, and I won’t presume to add anything to this fund of literature. I write here only a few thoughts gained from prayer, the Bible and several reference readings. The love Paul means is agape love. This love is unconditional, self-sacrificing, serving love, which considers others needs above one’s own. Agape love involves faithfulness, commitment, and an act of the will. Jesus spoke about Christian love,

^“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:30-31, NIV.)

Sounds great, but hard to live. Self-sacrificing love doesn’t come naturally to us; we have a fallen selfish nature. This love can only come from God, because God is love; it is Christ’s Spirit living in every believer. Christ died for us when we we’re yet sinners (Romans 5:8.) I have to ask myself if others see Christ in me. In Christ’s church, I think evangelism efforts can sometimes disappoint because others don’t see in us the Christ we proclaim. Without love, our faith gains nothing.

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing” (I Corinthians 13:1-3, ESV.)

Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, called upon Christians to care especially for the needs of believers. Yes, our Christian family comes first. Christians are called to bear one another’s burdens, and to support, nurture and uplift each other in God’s word, in order for the church to remain strong to do the hard work of Christ among those who don’t know Him as Savior.

“Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ, . . . So then, while we have opportunity, let’s do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith” (Galatians 6:2,10, NASB.)

It’s like vaccination priorities. My sister is a nurse, and she told the hospital to give her covid19 vaccination dose to someone else. The clinic nurse advised my sister she was thinking wrongly. If the caregivers go down, who will care for the sick? Likewise, believers share with Christians so they might help others outside of the church family.

The news has shown over the past several months many examples of people doing things to help their neighbors, like a story I saw on the evening news about a man who makes pizzas to give to the homeless. He lowers them out his apartment window to the hungry receiver below!

Mother Teresa once said, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”

Ordinary people can supply the answers to many prayers, but only when we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us. I pray that Jesus will guide me to recognize these opportunities for everyday miracles. Love allows the world to see God through us, because all love comes from God.

“No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us” (I John 4:12, NIV.)

One more thought: Jesus told us to love ourselves (as referenced in Mark 12:30-31 above.) This doesn’t mean the selfish, arrogant kind of self-love. This is a “selfie” society, and many crave the favor of their peers as a means to validate their own value, or to focus on their own ego. I don’t think taking a selfie is wrong in itself, just that the motive for it can be misguided at times.

Matthew Kelly, in Rediscover Jesus, says self-love means “the love of self that acknowledges that we are weak and wounded, and at the same time that we are amazing children God.”

When I think about that, I feel humility, gratitude and joy. Jesus loves me. I’m awed by this wondrous truth. I’m lovable, despite my brokenness.

“As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience” (Colossians 3:12, NRSV.)

Pretty amazing stuff. He loves us so we can love others.

And ourselves.

Selah.

God speaks through the simple things, and when we pause to listen, we are blessed,.

As I looked out a window, I saw a bird land on our fountain, and take a drink. I’ve seen this little blue fellow stop by several times. He’s a California Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma californica), and I’ve dubbed him “Scrubby.” As he perched by the bubbling fountain, he looked at me for several seconds, and this simple event carried my thoughts to the term “living water,” since my previous post featured this same fountain. (See my post entitled, “The Fountain,” August 31, 2020.) I wrote about the fruit of the Spirit, which He cultivates within us, reforming our hearts into the likeness of Christ.

The water in my little fountain receives fresh water every day, and the exchanged water flows onto my cherry tree and garden, so it’s not wasted.

In Western culture, we tend to look at the concept of “living water” as our thirst for Jesus, or righteousness through the flow of the indwelling Spirit. The Hebrews of Jesus time would have interpreted this phrase to mean all have access to approach God, without the need to pay for a ritual bath in a mikveh, and ceremonial cleansing to enter the temple. This was a revolutionary concept. The “living water” meant water flowing continuously in and out of the mikveh, or a spring of water.

^“but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14, ESV.)

Many churches speak of their emphasis on evangelizing and growth, but it seems to me most say little about the development of Christian character. Perhaps one reason some churches have discouraging success in evangelism is we don’t look like the Jesus we are asking others to trust.

We’ve all heard of Christians individuals described as having great faith, as if they can rely on the amount of their faith for their salvation. I don’t believe God is impressed by the quantity of our faith; it waxes and wanes like the moon.

In Matthew 17:19-20, Jesus spoke of faith:.

“Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked, ‘Why could we not drive it out?’ He answered, ‘Because of your little faith [your lack of trust and confidence in the power of God]; for I assure you and most solemnly say to you, if you have [living] faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and [if it is God’s will] it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you’” (AMP.)

I haven’t seen many flying mountains, except for videos of the Mount St. Helens eruption of 1980, and as far as I know, no one’s faith made that happen. Instead of trusting in the amount of my faith, I’d rather trust in the object of my faith, Jesus. He is trustworthy and true, even when my own heart deceives me. He knows how weak I am in my deepest valleys.

“For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust” (Psalm103:14, NKJV.)

This is the promise of Christmas. He came to us, and now His Spirit indwells us when we believe in Him with all our heart, and call upon His name. He lights our path and never leaves us, even when our faith is weak. He honors even a mustard seed of faith, because of His compassion, mercy and love toward those who believe and trust in Christ. In Romans we read:

^“The Spirit of God not only maintains this hope within us, but helps us in our present limitations. For example, we do not know how to pray worthily as sons of God, but his Spirit within us is actually praying for us in those agonising longings which never find words. And God who knows the heart’s secrets understands, of course, the Spirit’s intention as he prays for those who love God” (Romans 8:26-27, PHILLIPS.)

Mary probably didn’t know how to pray about Gabriel’s message to her, and all the things she had seen and experienced. Yet, God heard her unspoken prayers, and answered them.

^“But Mary treasured all these things, giving careful thought to them and pondering them in her heart” (Luke 2:19, AMP.)

The Word gives me assurance of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and when I see the fruit of the Spirit growing in me, I gain more understanding of the scripture that tells me I am a “new creature in Christ.”

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17, KJV.)

I intend to look further into the nine characteristics of Spiritual fruit. I hope to gain a deeper understanding of this assurance of Christ’s work within me. In the coming weeks, you’re invited to join me, as I post new entries here.

What better time to begin a study of the blessings of Christ in us, than the time when we celebrate His birth, Emmanuel, God with us.

Joy to the world!

Selah.