Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. Galatians 6:7 (King James Version)

In this devotional look at the Fruit of the Spirit, we will examine the three fruits that are designed to enhance our relationships with others.

PATIENCE: There are two words in the New Testament for patience, one which means to “abide under” or “endure” trials. The other word is longsuffering or our more modern translation that talks of a person that has a “long fuse”. I think having a long fuse also pertains to enduring under trials, since having a long fuse would mean that we have a longer ability to wait before we explore or respond inappropriately to our situations and problems. Does it seem strange to you that patience under trials is put with the fruit that deals with other people? Not to me, seems most of my trials or problems in life involve other people. If we are patient with people (Eph. 4:2), we are willing to understand awkward people or disturbing events which involve others. Paul in his first letter to Timothy (1:16) tells us that God gives us the ability to be patient so that Jesus’ example can be seen in us.

What is reaped from sowing patience? First, others gain a perspective of Christ that is often not displayed in others. We gain strength and endurance from God and discover His faithfulness to us through our times of patiently waiting. Last, we learn that troubles are the fruit press of God, life compresses on us so that there will flow from us refreshment for the weary, thirsty world (1 Thess. 5:14; Rom. 12:12; James 1:2-4).

KINDNESS: Sowing and Reaping… Proverbs 11:17 says it all “A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself.” Compassion and mercy are two additional words that mean the same as kindness. Kindness is a compassionate response to people in need. Our best example in Scripture is the Good Samaritan story. At the end of the story, Jesus tells those listening to him to go and do likewise (Luke 10:37). We are to be kind to others, because Christ demonstrated that kind of mercy and kindness to us when He chose to come and save us and forgive us our sins (Eph. 4:32). Kindness is love in action (1 John 4:8; 1 Cor. 13:4).

KINDNESS is not a tolerance of wrong, that is a disservice (cleaning a wound is necessary for healing). Kindness entails courage, integrity and selflessness. When the seeds of kindness are sown in our garden – there will be a bountiful harvest of blessings for both us and others. Life can be exceedingly rich.

GOODNESS: We are created for good and that which is beneficial in effect (2 Thess. 1:11; Eph. 2:10; Heb13:16). God’s goodness demonstrated to us is our salvation (2 Cor. 5:23), our return to God for our salvation is demonstrating goodness to others. This is not a feeling we experience; it is doing good whether we feel like it or not in order to overcome evil.

How do we know what doing good is? First, we live in obedience to the Word of God (2 Tim. 3:16-17) and, second, we keep eternity and the rewards of eternity in mind (Matt 25:21; John 17:4). We are to do good all the time, but especially when we are wronged (Luke 6:27; Rom. 12:21). If we respond with good to the wrong done to us or the wrong we see in the world, we are acting as God’s agents because God is good all the time and is good to us even when we wrong Him.

Goodness is like a juicy piece of fresh fruit on a summer’s day. It refreshes in the midst of trouble, heartache and the daily chores of life. You become to others a fresh bowl of fruit on the table verses that plastic fake stuff we try to pass off as fruit. So, is your fruit juicy or stale, old or maybe even fake? If it is the latter, then weed out the sin in your garden and pass on to others the gifts you have been given from God.

Being Patient, Kind and Good to others means that we believe in them and we believe that God can make them great. It means that we will see and treat others as God sees them, not as we see them. Finally, it means that we believe with God all things are possible. The impact of producing this fruit in our lives is that they will want what you have. They will want to have your Gardener in charge of their fruit (get it – they will want God). Think of the harvest for God if we only sowed these fruit on a regular basis in our lives. Happy Planting!

Lynn Jahns
Christian Counselor
Director, KESWICK Institute of Biblical Studies

DIGGING DEEPER
James 3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.”

The main ingredients in our fruit are based on our relationship to God.

Love: is like good seed introduced into good soil, it must come from a source outside the garden. It does not, nor can it ever, spring from the soil of our own souls. Agape Love is God’s love bestowed on us through His Son. I can only have this kind of love as far as I am connected to and have God in my life. Love is the fruit that is found in all the other fruit (1 Cor. 13:1-7). Without Love, the other fruit cannot be fully functional and productive – it will lack that “sweetening” agent. If we have love, it never fails to produce (1 Cor. 13:8).

Beth Moore explains Agape love in her study on the fruit in the following ways:
* Agape is divine capacity to love. Only God is capable of agape.
* Agape is more a response than a feeling (1 John 3:20 – God is greater than our hearts)
* Agape is fueled by the needs rather than the desires of self or others
* Agape is expressed through me when I surrender to the empowerment and temperament of the Holy Spirit.

Joy: Is “delight – gladness” that is not based on circumstances – Heb. 12:2
The word happiness is found 6 times in NT, and 16 times in OT. Joy shows up 8 x more than happiness in Scripture (176 times). Joy is the grand attributes of God Himself – “God of all Joy”. Too often we are looking for joy when we should just be looking towards Jesus Christ – our joy is in Him… not in anything else we can find.

Check out the types of joy that God provides: We are never lacking for joy when we look for it in the right places.
* Joy of salvation – Psalm 51:12a
* Joy of problems – James 1:12
* Joy of worship – Psalm 12 2:1
* Joy of today – Psalm 118:24
* Joy of restoration – Psalm 71:20/Psalm 23:3
* Joy of prayer – John 16:24/Psalm 16:11b
* Joy of God’s Word – Psalm 119:111

Peace: is not the absence of problems, but the presence of Jesus in the midst of problems. The fruit of peace is love standing strong and stable in spite of every insult, antagonism and every hate. We are at peace with God (Romans 5:1), we are given the peace of God (Phil. 4:7), which equips us to live at peace with everyone (Romans 12:18), or at least do our part to be a peace with everyone (Romans 14:19). I love this statement: He who throws dirt only loses ground. Let us keep our soil in our godly garden!

Do you need to cultivate the fruit of Love, Joy and Peace? First we need to take a long hard look at ourselves, then cry out to God to change and do what He needs to do to sweeten our fruit, and finally we need to get out of the way (kill the flesh) and give God control. We need to let Him in our fields and hand over the keys to the plow. Being plowed by God will transform your life, your relationships and your attitudes. Allow God to come in and establish His fruit in your life.

Lynne Jahns
Christian Counselor
Director, KESWICK Institute of Biblical Studies

DIGGING DEEPER
James 3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.”

“By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” John 15:8

I am going to attempt to do several Victory Calls on the Fruit of the Spirit. Last summer I did a seminar on this topic and we decided to call it “Juicy Fruit”. That is what God desires from us, fruit that is juicy and pleasant. Not dry and wilted.

Let us start out with pronunciation; it is FRUIT, not FRUITS. A tree bears one fruit, it may bear many apples, but it is the fruit of the tree. The Holy Spirit in the same way is the source of our fruit. The apple has several parts, such as core, seeds, flesh, peel – but it is all one piece of the fruit. So it is with the fruit of the spirit – it is all one fruit, with many parts. All of the components must be present if we are allowing the Holy Spirit to produce His fruit in us. For example, if you examine a cluster of grapes, each grape is same fruit yet each may differ slightly in size, shape and taste. One fully ripened, full of sweet taste – others less ripe, green, sour, shrunken and shriveled – still they are the same grape growing on a single stem.

As a way of introduction, it is important to know why we bear fruit. The verse above is clear in that our spiritual fruit first gives glory to God and second, demonstrates that we are His disciples. We shall be known by our fruit. When people see, taste or experience the fruit in our lives they are seeing, tasting and experiencing God at work.

Next, what purpose does my fruit play in God’s grand scheme of things? First, it is designed so that we can be God’s instruments and meet the needs of others. Fruit trees do not eat their own fruit; they bear fruit for our benefit. Our fruit is not for our benefit, but for the benefit of others. Galatians 6:10 tells us to do good to others. In Philippians 4:19 we are told that God supplies our needs – and one of the ways He does that is through our fruit.

Finally, let’s look at the predators of our spiritual fruit. All fruit has predators: cold, bugs, heat, drought, fire, wind, etc… Our spiritual fruit also has predators. Galatians 5:16-17 and Romans 8:5 tell us that the flesh and our sinful desires can destroy our fruit. The next one is no surprise… Satan is looking to destroy us (1 Peter 5:18) and if he can’t destroy us totally, he can render our fruit ineffective for God.

Each succeeding Victory Call on this topic will look at the different parts of the Fruit.

The first 3 relate to our relationship to God: Love, Joy, and Peace.
The next 3 relate to our relationship to others: Patience, Kindness and Goodness.
The last 3 relate to our relationship to ourselves, or what kind of people we are: Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-control.

I want to end with a poem, maybe it can be your prayer for this study. Source is unknown.

We who were once wilderness can become the garden of God.

My life is a garden.
Your life is a garden.

Is it a waste, untilled and wild?
Like an untaught, untrained child?

Or is it good soil under the Master’s hand?
Is my soul His own cherished land?

Is it thick with thistles and weed?
Or has it been sown with His good seed?

What is the harvest that comes from this life?
Goodness and love, or hatred and strife?

O Lord, take this stony ground of mine.
Make it all, completely Thine!

Only then can it ever yield,
The pleasant fruit of a godly field.

Lynne Jahns

Christian Counselor
Director, KESWICK Institute of Biblical Studies

DIGGING DEEPER
James 3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.”

I love the practicality of the book of James. There are so many nuggets of truth and wisdom within its pages. I hope you are being blessed by the intentional study and meditation on the Word.

This weeks verse is James 3:1
“Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.”

Commentary
“Teachers were important in the early church (Acts 2:42; Rom. 12:7; 1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 4:11), and those who were ambitious sought teacher status for the wrong reasons. However, with greater responsibility comes greater expectations by God (Luke 12:48; Heb. 13:17), and teachers will be judged with greater strictness (lit., “greater judgment”), since they are accountable for more.” ESV Study Bible, study notes pg. 2395.

Blessings, Diane

Diane Hunt is the Director of Addiction Recovery and Development at America’s KESWICK. In addition to her Keswick responsibilities which keep her busy, she loves to read, write and teach, travel and laugh with her grandchildren. Diane has been married to her husband John over 26 years. She has 2 children, 3 grandchildren, 3 step-children, and 7 step-grandchildren.

Yesterday I shared the first portion of a brochure called Modesty Check written by Carolyn Mahaney, Nicole Whitacre, Kristin Chesemore and Janelle Bradshaw. Today I share the remaining portion for your encouragement and challenge:

Before you leave the house, do a modesty check. (What are some things you should look for as you stand in front of your mirror?)

Starting at the top…
* When I am wearing a loose-fitting blouse or scoop-neck, can I see anything when I lean over? If so, I need to remember to place my hand against my neckline when I bend down.
* If I am wearing a button-down top, I need to turn sideways and move around to see if there are any gaping holes that expose my chest. If there are, I’ve got to grab the sewing box and pin between the buttons.
* The same check is needed if I am wearing sleeveless. When I move around, can I see my bra? If I do, I need the pins again.
* Am I wearing spaghetti-strap, halter-top or see-through blouse? Not even pins will fix this problem! Most guys find these a hindrance in their struggle with lust. It’s time to go back to the closet.
* Can I see the lace or seam of my bra through my shirt? In this case, seamless bras are a better option.
* More key questions: Does it reveal any part of my cleavage? Does my midriff show when I raise my hands above my head? Is my shirt just plain too tight? If the answer is “yes” to any one of these questions, then I need to change my outfit.

Moving on down…
* Does my midriff (or underwear) show when I bend over or lift my hands? If so, is it because my skirt or my pants are too low? Either my shirt needs to be longer or I need to find a skirt or pants that sit higher.
* I also have to turn around to see if what I’m wearing is too tight around my derriere, or if the outline of my underwear shows. If so, I know what I have to do!
* And for my shorts – I can’t just check them standing up. I need to see how much they reveal when I sit down. If I see too much leg, I need a longer pair.
* The “sit-down” check applies to my skirt or dress as well. And I must remember to keep my skirt pulled down and my knees together when I’m seated.
* And speaking of skirts, watch out for those slits! Does it reveal too much when I walk? Pins are helpful here.
* Before I leave, I need to give my skirt a “sunlight check.” Is it see-through? If so, I need a slip.
* Finally, I must remember to do this modesty check with my shoes on. High-heels make my dress or skirt appear shorter.
* And don’t forget – this all applies to formal wear as well.
* A note on swimwear: It’s not easy but you can still strive to be modest at the pool or beach. Look for one-piece bathing suits that aren’t cut high on the leg or and don’t have a low neckline.

This is part two of a two part series from the Modesty Check (c) Sovereign Grace Ministries

Republished in Girl Talk: Mother-Daughter Conversations on Biblical Womanhood by Carolyn Mahaney, and Nicole Whitacre (Crossway Books)~~ used with permission.
If you are interested the Modest Heart Check brochure can be found in PDF form, as a free download at: http://www.sovereigngracestore.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=A1170-06-59.

I found this Modesty Heart Check brochure very insightful and helpful. I pass it along in two parts for your consideration and edification:

Modesty Heart Check
By Carolyn Mahaney, Nicole Whitacre, Kristin Chesemore, Janelle Bradshaw

“…Women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness-with good works.” 1 Timothy 2:9-10
Start with a heart check…

“How does a woman discern the sometimes fine line between proper dress and dressing to be the center of attention? The answer starts in the intent of the heart. A woman should examine her motives and goals for the way she dresses. Is her intent to show the grace and beauty of womanhood? Is it to reveal a humble heart devoted to worshipping God? or is it to call attention to herself and flaunt her beauty? Or worse, to attempt to lure men sexually? A woman who focuses on worshipping God will consider carefully how she is dressed, because her heart will dictate her wardrobe and appearance.” John MacArthur

* What statement do my clothes make about my heart?
* In choosing what clothes to wear today, whose attention do I desire and whose approval do I crave? Am I seeking to please God or impress others?
* Is what I wear consistent with biblical values of modesty, self-control and respectable apparel, or does my dress reveal an inordinate identification and fascination with sinful cultural values?
* Who am I trying to identify with through my dress? Is the Word of God my standard or is it the latest fashion?
* Have I asked other godly individuals to evaluate my wardrobe?
* Does my clothing reveal an allegiance to the gospel or is there any contradiction between my profession of faith and my practice of godliness?

This is part one of a two part series from the Modesty Check (c) Sovereign Grace Ministries

Republished in Girl Talk: Mother-Daughter Conversations on Biblical Womanhood by Carolyn Mahaney, and Nicole Whitacre (Crossway Books)~~ used with permission.
If you are interested the Modest Heart Check brochure can be found in PDF form, as a free download at: http://www.sovereigngracestore.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=A1170-06-59.

Steph once made the statement that “people get dressed intentionally.”

If you do not think you dress intentionally perhaps it is time to start dressing intentionally to the glory of God. Many girls/women dress intending to turn a head, to draw the eye a particular man, or men in general. A woman can feel a sense of excitement from getting a positive reaction from a member of the opposite sex. My theory is that this sense of excitement is the female form of lust. Lust is defined as personal inclination or intense desire (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary). For men, lust is an issue of the heart but is typically enticed through the eyes. For women, I would say the same is true with a significant variation. For women, lust is an issue of the heart but is typically enticed through the eyes LOOKING AT HER. For men, lust is passive in the sense that it is fanned into flame through what he takes in from outside of himself, what he sees or looks at and then mulls over in his mind. For women, lust is active in the sense that it is fanned into flame through what she sends out from inside herself, how she dresses, sits, or moves her body which results in a reaction from a man. The power to entice and the intense longing for attention can cause women to dress in a sensual way.

The styles today can create a problem simply because of the fabric they are made with. I know a lot of women who do not wear slips. Sometimes that can create a less than desirable result. I saw a woman recently in a cute modest dress but she wasn’t wearing a slip and that dress clung in all the wrong places, and I doubt she was even aware of it.

Romans 6:13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

I only see two options: either we will present ourselves to God as an instrument of righteousness and dress to glorify Him, or we will present ourselves as an instrument of unrighteousness and dress to glorify self. Not choosing to dress intentionally to glorify God will, by default, result in dressing to glorify self.

Which do you choose today?

Diane

This week our Victory Calls will focus on “Modesty” – “How do your wardrobe choices reflect love for Jesus Christ?

Another year has passed already. This is the week for the past 4 years that I have shared a series on modesty and purity. Memorial Day typically kicks off the summer with warmer temperatures and sticky humidity and people wear lighter and less clothing. It is not that modesty is only an issue in the summer, it is God’s desire for us all 365 days of the year. However, I doubt anyone would argue that it becomes a more evident issue with the warmer weather. The beaches and pools are packed to overflowing, and the amusement parks and ice cream stands have long lines. People are out and about.

It is disheartening when I see young women (and some not-so-young) wearing attire that would have only appeared in pornographic magazines 30 or 40 years ago. If it is catching my attention, you can be sure it is turning almost every male’s head. Sure there are men out there intentionally looking, ogling anything female, but I would venture to guess that they are not the majority. I think the majority are men with wives and families and daughters who are accosted with sensually and scantly dressed girls and women everywhere they go. I wish I could say, they could just flee to the church but sadly, it is not safe even in the churches.

Women of God, it is time to stand up and battle the enemy as he is gaining ground in the hearts and lives of the men of our churches, our husbands, our sons, our brothers, our pastors. We need a new attitude of compassion and support rather than condemnation and irritation.

Please hear my heart. I am not blaming scantly dressed women for any man’s sinful attitudes or actions! Each man is 100% responsible for where he allows his eyes and heart to linger. I would also say each woman is 100% responsible for her own attire and her attitude towards this whole area of struggle for her male counterpart. It is a cop-out to chalk it up to being “his problem”. More than that, it is short-sighted, superficial and flat out sinful.

Which one of us would sit in the foxhole painting our nails when our fellow soldier was waging war against our enemy who appeared to be gaining the upper hand? NOT A ONE! I believe every one of us would jump to the aid of another in our company doing battle alongside them rather than against them. Let’s carry this word picture into the modesty, lust and purity battle. Can you see how God calls us alongside rather than against our brothers in Christ?

How do your wardrobe choices reflect love for Jesus Christ? How does your attire reflect love for your brothers in Christ? How does the way you dress reflect your heart?

Romans 13:10 Love does no harm to a neighbor…
Luke 10:27 “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,” and “your neighbor as yourself.”

Diane

James 2:20-26
Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”-and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

Points to Ponder
Isn’t the point in these verses that faith results in action? Faith without action is not action and action without faith is not faith. To know a truth doesn’t necessarily lead to obedience to the truth, but to believe a truth, leads to active obedience in light of that truth.

This litmus test can give us a glimpse into our own hearts. What we know we may say with our lips, but what we believe is only evident through our attitudes and actions. “We act upon what we believe not upon what we know.”1 Understanding that distinction has greatly impacted my life as I have gained greater understanding of my own heart.

How about you? What does your life say about what you truly believe?
Some food for thought today.

Blessings,
Diane

Diane Hunt is the Director of Addiction Recovery and Development at America’s KESWICK. In addition to her Keswick responsibilities which keep her busy, she loves to read, write and teach, travel and laugh with her grandchildren. Diane has been married to her husband John over 26 years. She has 2 children, 3 grandchildren, 3 step-children, and 7 step-grandchildren.

1 Vicki Arudda, quoted in Praying God’s Word by Beth Moore