But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace… (Galatians 5:22).
In this corner…
Mortgage
Taxes
Orthodontist
Broken car
Broken home
Broken heart
Job stress
Family stress
Financial stress
Politics
Illness
Age
Loneliness
In this corner…
Jesus
No contest, whatsoever
Happy Wednesday, Beloved.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy… (Galatians 5:22).
Not happiness
Not joviality
Not glee
Joy
The deep and abiding knowledge that you are loved, that you are whole. It lies there beneath the surface of our life, unaffected by the storms of the moment. Joy is much bigger than the moment.
From time to time it rises to the surface, bubbling up to take us by surprise and sweeping us off our feet with an intensity that leaves us breathless. Then it recedes, knowing that this frame can only take so much.
But someday…
Someday we will trade this frame for a new and improved model that can handle joy at full strength.
That’ll be nifty.
May Joy bubble up in your life today.
Happy Tuesday, Beloved.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love… (Galatians 5:22).
On the count of three, I want you to create a mango.
Ready? One…Two…Three!
TaDaaaa!!
Hey, where’s your mango?
Oh, that’s right. You can’t make a mango, because a mango isn’t in your nature. It’s a fruit of the mango tree.
As love is a fruit of the Spirit.
Beloved, you can do loving things–and you should–out of obedience to God. But that feeling of unselfish love, of wanting someone else’s good above your own…you can’t manufacture that. It comes from the Holy Spirit, and it develops and ripens in its own time and on His schedule. So don’t force it, and don’t kick yourself for not feeling what you think you ought to feel. Just let the Spirit work in you. Be obedient to his commands, and the fruit will mature right on his schedule.
His schedule.
Happy Monday, Beloved.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever (Galatians 16:34).
Are you still thankful today, Beloved? Or has the Christmas to-do list already swapped contention for contentment? Look, I’m not judging; I know you’ve got a lot to do. Myself, I’m looking at a garage that needs to be cleaned–I’ve been putting it off for eight months now–just so I can get to the Christmas lights, most of which are broken, if I remember correctly. I have a vague memory of an entire string of lights falling from the roof last January, resulting in a string of mini-explosions and a decision that I would replace all the lights “Next year,” when finances would undoubtedly be better, except they’re not. So I’ve probably gotta buy lights, and garland, and maybe a lawn elf–but no inflatables, I’m passionately against inflatables–before I can even start decorating, and the neighbors are pretty much done already…
Yeah, so I get it.
But, for those of us in Christ, the One we were thankful for yesterday is the same One we celebrate at Christmas. It’s pretty much the same holiday; you just have to swap funny hats.
Of course, you know that already…you’re a bright one.
So, hey, take time during the craziness–like today, like right now–to stop and breathe and give thanks.
For him
For you and him
Happy Friday, Beloved.
I thank God every time I remember you (Philippians 1:3).
As I think over all the ways God has blessed me and has filled my life with his love and his grace, my heart comes to you. You, who enter my digital den and read my ramblings. For some of you it’s a One-a-Day; for others it’s a Once-in-a-While. Still, you come, and you read, and you allow me to share the bits and bobs that rattle around inside me. Look, your time is important. You could go anywhere in cyberspace and read any of thousands of devotions written by people wiser and better trained than I. But you spend a few moments here, with me. You do me great honor.
So, as you give thanks today, please know that there is someone clacking away at his Chromebook who is very thankful for…you.
Happy Thanksgiving, Beloved.
But the fruit of the Spirit is… (Galatians 5:22).
There are places in the Bible where we believers are compared to strong trees or lush vines producing good fruit.
This is not one of those places.
Here, please note, the fruit is produced by the Spirit of God.
So where are we in this analogy? Well, the Holy Spirit lives in us, and a tree lives in…
dirt.
Yes, Beloved, we are dirt. I mean, you can go with rich, fertile soil or even jars of clay if it makes you feel better, but it’s all still dirt. We don’t produce the fruit or bear the fruit; we simply allow the Spirit to be planted in us. We endure the rains because they allow the Spirit to sink his roots deep.
I could continue the analogy by talking about how some days fertilizer gets dumped on us, but I don’t want to put that picture in your head.
Oops…too late.
Well, let’s hope today is not a fertilizer day.
Happy Wednesday, Beloved.
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21).
Well, now–there’s a happy start to your Tuesday.
Look, we’re not going to go into details here. Some of the items on this list are vague, while others are quite specific. But let’s take a moment to discuss what this list is not.
First, it’s not a comprehensive check-off list. Don’t look at this and think, “Whew, I don’t see myself here, so I’m good.” Because, first of all, look closer–you’re on here. Besides, Paul’s not listing all sin. He’s giving examples of the fruit produced by a life lived apart from God.
Second, it’s not a mark of doom. When you see yourself on this list, it doesn’t mean that you’re not God’s. Paul doesn’t say, “Those who commit any of these acts will not inherit the Kingdom of God.” He says, “Those who live like this…” It’s a lifestyle. What you see above are the effects, not the causes, of a life without Christ.
So, Beloved, when you look at this list and it seems all too familiar, return to the Cross, bathe in his grace, and remember whose you are and how much you are worth to him.
Then live like it.
Happy Tuesday, Beloved.
But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law (Galatians 5:18).
The Law doesn’t lead you. It drags you. It’s being chained by the hands to the rear bumper of a Buick. As the car drives away you walk, then jog, then run, then race, trying desperately to keep from stumbling, because when you stumble you will fall, and then you will be dragged by chains of guilt through streets of shame.
How’s that for pushing a metaphor, huh!
By contrast, the Spirit leads you. It’s your favorite person in all the world looking over his shoulder with a smile and a wink and saying, “Come with me. This is gonna be amazing!”
Go with Spirit over Law, Beloved.
Every time
Especially today
Happy Monday, Beloved.
For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want (Galatians 5:17).
Guest post today by C.S. Lewis:
Legion
Lord, hear my voice, my present voice I mean,
Not that which may be speaking an hour hence
(For I am Legion) in an opposite sense
And not by show of hands decide between
The multiple factions which my state has seen
Or will see. Condescend to the pretense
That what speaks now is I; in its defense,
Dissolve my parliament and intervene.
Thou wilt not, though we asked it, quite recall
Free will once given. Yet to this moment’s choice
Give unfair weight. Hold me to this. Oh strain
A point—use legal fictions; for if all
My quarreling selves must bear an equal voice
Farewell, thou hast created me in vain.
Yep; that about covers it.
Happy Friday, Beloved.
So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. (Galatians 5:16).
Remember the story about the Indian boy who dreamt that he had two wolves fighting inside him? He went to his grandfather, who explained that the wolves represented good and evil. The kid asked which wolf would win the fight, and the wise grandfather replied, “The one that you feed.”
You don’t remember that story? Oh, well, it was a story. Trust me.
Anyway, there’s truth there. All day long today, you are going to make choices about how to spend your time. No matter how busy you are with the stuff that has to be done, you will still have a few minutes here and there that are at your discretion. How will you spend those moments?
Will you take the chance to connect with God, or with social media?
Will you soak in a moment of worship, or check out the latest hate rant about the election?
You could fire off a quick prayer for those you love–or those you don’t love but are called to–or you could engage in that secret sin while the angels weep.
Not to get too heavy, but you know what I’m talking about.
Beloved, living by the Spirit is not performing some huge, momentous act that rocks the cosmos and brings thousands to their knees in a solemn prayer.
Although, if you can do that, please do…and tag me in the pictures.
Living by the Spirit is a thousand small choices that define you and your relationship with Jesus. It’s the endless small sacrifices of time that demonstrate your priorities before God and Man and Self.
Caveat for my daughter and others who are getting twitchy–I’m not saying that you can never relax, or that you have to monitor and judge every moment of every day. That way lies madness. I’m just saying that we make choices with our time, and we should choose the things that will bring us closer to God.
So, yes, Beloved, it’s OK to watch the kitten in a teacup video…just maybe not for the 1000th time.
I gotta go now. There’s this set of 800 Star Wars memes on Facebook that I have to get back to.
I’m a mess.
Happy Thursday, Beloved.