Tag: Fruits of the Spirit

The Fruit of Faithfulness

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“Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”

– Hebrews 10:23

God is faithful to fulfill all that He has promised. He placed a rainbow in the sky as a sign of His promise to Noah. He told Abraham to look up at the sky and count the stars as a sign of the promise He made to him. We need only look up to remember the promises He has made to us. When we look at the fruits of the Spirit, we quickly begin to realize that they are all rooted in the character of God. The more like Him we become – the more fruit we bear. We can be faithful, because He has been faithful.

Faith is defined in Hebrews 11:1 as “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Faith is trusting in what we cannot see. We trust gravity to continue holding our feet to the ground. When we flip a light switch, we trust the electricity to light  up the room. We trust our heart to keep beating. We trust our lungs to keep filling with air. We trust our minds to keep instructing our hands and feet to move and operate. We are trusting in invisible, unseen things. We are trusting in work that is being done behind the scenes, beyond what our eyes can see. We don’t see the rainbow until after the storm. The stars shine brightest when the night is darkest. We take the first step of faith before we see the stairs in front of us. Peter didn’t step out of the boat because the waves seemed steady and secure enough to hold His weight – He stepped out of the boat because He saw Jesus. Our faith looks like foolishness to those who don’t know our Jesus. Those who can’t see with eyes of faith, don’t understand.

As the song Waymaker says, “Even when I don’t see it, You’re working. Even when I don’t feel it, You’re working.” We know He is faithful, because we have experienced His faithfulness. He is a promise-keeper, a miracle-worker, a light in the darkness. That’s who He is – His faithfulness is part of His identity. To be faithful is to be steadfast. It means holding steady through trials and tribulations. It means showing up consistently when fears and doubts arise. It means being reliable. It means being dependable. We can depend on our God to be there in our times of need, because He has promised to never leave or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6). He is an ever-present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1). We can trust Him because He is worthy to be trusted. We can put our faith in Him because He is faithful to fulfill what He has promised.

“The primary reason we lose faith is because we forget the faithfulness of God. Maybe that’s why the word ‘remember’ is repeated 250 times in Scripture.”

– Mark Batterson

When we remember God’s faithfulness, we are reminded of our own faithlessness. In Matthew 26:75 when Peter heard the crow of the rooster, he remembered what Jesus had said to him… “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” The same Peter who had enough faith to step out of the boat and onto the crashing waves towards Jesus, had denied Him three times, just has Jesus had told Him he would. Scripture says Peter then “went out and wept bitterly.”

But God is faithful, even in our faithlessness. He doesn’t leave us. He doesn’t abandon us. His promise still stands. We have hope because of the resurrection. The cross was not the end of the story. After the resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples on the Sea of Galilee and three times He asked Peter, “Do you love me?” And three times Peter responded “Yes, Lord, You know I do.” And three times Jesus responded, “Feed my sheep.” Jesus had made a promise that Peter was the rock on which He would build His church, and that promise was not made void through Peter’s denial. Peter went on to feed the sheep. He helped establish the church. And Peter was martyred for his faith – dying upside down on a cross because he didn’t deem himself worthy to die in the same manner as our Lord, Jesus Christ. Faithfulness comes with a cost. Jesus commands us to take up our cross and follow Him (Matthew 16:24).

One of the best examples of the faithful love of our God is the story of the Prophet Hosea. God instructed Hosea to marry Gomer, a woman who was described as a harlot and an adulteress. In their marriage, Gomer bore three children. The Bible is not clear if the second two children were biologically Hosea’s, but their names indicate that they were not. Gomer had been unfaithful to her husband. Eventually she left her husband and returned to a life of harlotry, but Hosea went back and purchased her from those who were holding her captive. He ransomed her. He redeemed her. Their story is symbolic of the redeeming love our God has for us. When we run back to our life of sin, God brings us back into His arms of love. He paid the ultimate cost for our redemption. His love is unrelenting. He never gives up. He doesn’t stop pursuing us. His love never fails. In our unfaithfulness, He remains faithful.

He is the same, yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). His love knows no bounds. Psalm 89:8 says, His faithfulness surrounds Him. We need only get close enough to Him to experience the fullness of it. His faithfulness strengthens and protects us (2 Thessalonians 3:3). His faithfulness does not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able to withstand, but gives us an escape route so that we can be faithful to endure the temptation when it comes (1 Corinthians 10:13). And when we allow ourselves to fall into temptation, when we miss the escape route and fall into sin then we need only confess and He is faithful and just to forgive (1 John 1:9). 

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

– Philippians 1:6

It is difficult for us to wrap our minds around the faithfulness of our God when we live in a culture that is “increasingly characterized by rapid change and instability” (Life on the Vine by Phillip Kenneson). We live in a culture where things are not built to last. Your cellphone only lasts until the latest version comes out. Furniture is often cheaply made and falls apart after only a few uses. We buy disposable cups, plates, and silverware that we can throw away after a single use. We design products that will “save us time” but what do we actually do with the time we’ve saved? It takes time to build something that lasts. It takes time to design something that fulfills a purpose. It takes time to maintain something that will continue to endure throughout generations. Even our jobs and our relationships seem temporary and fleeting. In businesses where you used to interact with people, now you’re interacting with computers and screens. We live in a “cancel” culture where people are dismissed if their views don’t align with your own. We live in a culture where “ghosting” is a term the younger generation uses to describe simply cutting off communication in a relationship without explanation. It takes commitment to maintain a relationship. When we put time and energy into maintaining our relationships and our commitments with people, we are making an investment in a future we cannot see. We are practicing faithfulness.

We practice faithfulness when we abide in the love of God. We practice faithfulness when we trust God’s promises. We practice faithfulness when we make and keep promises. We practice faithfulness when speak truth. We practice faithfulness when we keep showing up. We practice faithfulness when we keep putting forth effort.
Our efforts are weak and imperfect – but they make our Father proud! His faithfulness gives us the strength to endure.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 says “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes, but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit.”

In the Parable of the Sower in Luke 8:15 Jesus says, “But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.”

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul wrote, “For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ. Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude” (Colossians 2:5-7).

We can’t bear spiritual fruit if we are not firmly rooted in who God is. God’s faithfulness  lays the foundation for us to bear the fruit of faithfulness. As we trust Him, our roots extend, bringing more stability. With more stability, comes more security. With more security, comes more confidence. With more confidence comes more boldness of speech and action. In this manner, faithfulness creates a ripple effect. We are being built up so that our branches can grow out, and the fruit we bear can bring nourishment to hungry hearts. We are being built up so that our fruit can bear more fruit.

The Fruit of Goodness

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“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, For His loving-kindness is everlasting.”

– Psalm 107:1

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth… and it was good. I remember when I was little, I sat down with my grandparents for a time of Bible Study and we decided to start in the beginning  – the book of Genesis. If you know anything about my grandpa, you know that he likes to pay attention to the details. He loves picking up on little inconsistencies in movies and TV shows – always noticing if the clock jumps ahead or if someones shoe color is different in one scene than in the next. As we read through the first chapter of Genesis, He said, “You know what’s interesting? After everything God created, He always said ‘it was good’ but after He created mankind, He said ‘it was very good.'” I don’t remember how old I was when he made that observation, but it has stuck with me ever since. Creation was good, but when God created us in His image, it was very good.

Goodness is a broad term that we use a lot, but often have difficulty explaining or defining. What makes someone or something good? The Strong’s dictionary defines goodness as “virtue or beneficence” and the Thayer’s dictionary defines it as “uprightness of heart and life.” We know from Scripture that all good things come from God. In Mark 10:18, even Jesus Himself says, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except for God alone.” In Romans 7:18-19, Paul says, “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.”

Good vs. Evil

Good is often explained in direct opposition to what is bad or what is evil. In fact, the reason most people turn from their faith is because they can’t understand how a good God could create evil. They doubt that God is truly good, because they don’t understand why bad things happen to good people. I think it’s important for us to recognize that God did not create evil. When we go back and read the account of creation, we see that everything God created was good. When God created light and saw that it was good, what did He do? He separated it from the darkness. Evil exists in this world because sin exists in this world. Sin came into this world when Adam and Eve disobeyed the instruction of God and made the decision to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God knew that if they ate from the tree, they would die in their sins. He wanted to protect them from evil. He wanted to protect them from death. But He wanted them to have the freewill to make their own decisions – and they chose death. They chose to know evil, because they wanted to be like God, knowing all things.

Scripture tells us time and time again to overcome evil with good:

Romans 12:1 says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Romans 12:9 says “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.”

Psalm 34:14 says, “Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.”

The sinfulness of our humanity cannot be described as good, but we are still capable of goodness because we are still created in the image of a good God. He is goodness defined, and He created us to do good works. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” He’s prepared us, He’s given us all we need to live a life of goodness. 2 Peter 1:3 says “His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.” Jesus showed us that goodness is possible. He showed us what a good life in human flesh looks like. He’s equipped us and empowered us to live a life of goodness. We can’t use our human flesh to justify our evil actions, because Jesus showed us what a life without sin looks like, and He calls us to take up our cross and follow Him. In Life on the Vine, Phillip Kenneson writes, “In the light of Jesus’ life we come to realize that our problem is not that we are “only human” but that we are not human enough. Blaming our shortcomings on our humanity, therefore, makes a mockery not only of the life of Jesus but also of the lives of those saints throughout the ages who have sought to be human in the ways that He was human.”

We often have a hard time understanding the full magnitude of goodness because we have underplayed it’s importance for so long. Someone asks us how our day was or how we are feeling and we automatically respond with a simple “good” – without giving much thought as to why it was good or what made it good. Often we’ll say we had a good day when in fact our day was actually pretty average, and we’ll say we’re feeling good when actually haven’t felt all that great. Overtime good starts to feel less and less good. In Life on the Vine, Phillip Kenneson says, “If one is merely decent, one is increasingly considered good.” He uses the story of the Good Samaritan to support this. He says that the man we call the Good Samaritan, was not actually called “good” by Jesus. When you go back and read the story, you’ll see that Jesus actually refers to him as a “certain” Samaritan – because what this man did was something any decent human being should have done. However, as Kenneson says, “we regard him as good as if what he did was exceptional or heroic.”

Our human goodness cannot be compared to the goodness of our God. As Titus 2:14 says, our God “…gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good.” If we want to live godly lives, we must eager to do what is good. The path to goodness is a path of righteousness, justice, and fairness (Proverbs 2:9). This is not an easy path. In 2 Timothy 3:1-5 we learn that in the last days, people will hate what is good. They will hate goodness because goodness is not self-serving. Goodness, like the love of God, is sacrificial. As 2 Timothy 3:5 says, these people will have a form of godliness, but will deny it’s power. We are commanded to avoid these people. The fruit of these people is fake. It looks good on the outside, but there is nothing of substance on the inside. There is no nutritional value. If we bite into this type of spiritual fruit, the effects can be toxic and harmful for our spiritual growth and development.

“Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals.'”

– 1 Corinthians 15:33

Good Fruit vs. Bad Fruit

Have you ever heard the saying, “One bad fruit ruins the whole bunch?” It’s true. We need to surround ourselves with good people who speak goodness into our lives, and set positive examples of goodness for us to imitate. If we surround ourselves with negativity, negativity will corrupt and corrode our character. People who declare themselves to be Christians but do not live in a way that imitates the life of Christ are creating a bad name for all Christians. John 13:35 says, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” How much love is being displayed in our words and in our actions? Are we truly living as Jesus lived and loving as Jesus loved? What image of Jesus are we painting for this world to see?

We are known by our fruit. If you say you had a good day, but your face doesn’t reflect it – people know. If you say God is good, but don’t live as if you know it’s true – people see that. If we want to be good, we have to do good. Out of the overflow of our heart, the mouth speaks. Matthew 12:33-35 says, “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil.” If we fill our heart with goodness, goodness will flow out in our actions. If we plant goodness deep within, then goodness will spring forth. If we practice good works, then we’ll be strengthened to do good works. We’ll recognize opportunities for goodness. We’ll see with more clarity the opportunities God puts before us to be good and to do good. Galatians 6:10 says, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people…” and 2 Peter 1:5-7 tells us “Therefore, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.” Our good actions reveal the goodness of our God and the goodness of His love. Our good actions build good character within us. The Samaritan man Jesus spoke of was just a man, but his actions spoke of his character. The fruit of his actions spoke of the content of his heart. He is recognized and remembered as being good, because He made the conscious decision to do good.

If Jesus had told that parable today, what would you be remembered for?

In Acts 11:24, Barnabas was remembered as being “… a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and faith” who helped bring numerous people to the Lord.

In Titus 1:8, goodness is listed as one of the qualifications for a church leader. They are required to be “…hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled.”

In a world that is filled with evil, let us choose goodness. Let us do good. Let us be good. Let us live good lives that imitate the good life our Savior lived. Let us always strive to be more like Jesus.

The Fruit of Kindness

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“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.”

– Micah 6:8

Do justice. Love kindness. Walk humbly.

How timely these words are! How relevant. How powerful that prophetic words written over two thousand years ago are still able to be applied to our lives today. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He still wants us to do justice, He still wants us to love kindness, and He still wants us to walk humbly with Him.

All three of these words go hand in hand. You cannot have one without the other. They are each dependent on one another. We need justice that comes forth out of kindness and humility. We need kindness that works from humility and towards justice. We need humility that works with kindness to produce justice.

Our world is hungry for the fruit of kindness – it’s time for us to get to work giving it out.

In Life on the Vine,  Phillip Kenneson says that kindness is the most outwardly visible of the spiritual fruits. He says, “Kindness is neither a state of mind nor an invisible attitude or emotion. Neither do we think people kind simply because they refrain from doing unkind things. Rather, we regard people as kind because they go out of their way, often quietly and without fanfare, to engage in kind actions.”

Kindness is love in action.

Kindness is the act of sharing joy with others.

Kindness is the act of making peace with others.

Kindness is the act of being patient with others.

Actions speak louder than words – so what are our actions telling the world about Jesus?

Do our actions reveal His kindness?

Did you know that the Greek word for Christ is “Christos” and the Greek word for kindness is “Chréstos”? The two words are so similar that early Christians were often called “the kind ones” – I love how God uses language to speak so much to the truth of His character. But are we living up to that name? Are we truly living Christ-like lives? Are we truly portraying ourselves to be “the kind ones”?

Kindness comes easy to us when we’re helping someone who looks like us, thinks like us, is clearly in need, and is willing and able to return the favor. It’s easy to be kind to someone who has been kind to you, but kindness becomes difficult when God calls us beyond the borders of our comfort zone. It’s easy to speak kindly to someone who agrees with you, but it becomes increasingly more difficult to be kind towards someone who is hostile and argumentative. Kindness is easy when we’re simply repaying the kindness of others, but it becomes more difficult when God asks us to be kind to our enemies – those who have treated us harshly and unfairly.

 “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

– Luke 6:27-36

Anger is reactive. Anger is an emotional response to injustice, and there is a such thing as righteous anger – but kindness is proactive. Kindness takes thought and intention. Kindness ultimately leads to repentance (Romans 2:4) – and repentance leads to forgiveness and reconciliation. We don’t win people to Jesus through arguments and debates, we win people to Jesus through kindness and compassion. In Ephesians 4:31-32, the Apostle Paul tells us, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”

This type of kindness is not easy. If it were easy, it would not be a fruit of the Spirit. The Spirit makes it supernatural. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to love, to forgive, and to be kind to those who do not “deserve” it or did not “earn” it. Kindness is a fruit of the Spirit, not of the flesh. Our flesh cannot produce true and genuine kindness, because our flesh is too focused on the self. We live in a world that values independence and self-sufficiency. We live in a world that gives only when we expect something in return, but that’s not the type of kindness God calls us to. The kindness of God is more than a currency exchanged for goods or services, the kindness of God is an investment in a kingdom we cannot see with our physical eyes.

When we find it hard to show kindness – we need to remember our own story. We need to look back and remember where God brought us from. We need to remember the kindness, the grace, and the mercy He showed to us. As the Israelite’s did in Deuteronomy 8, we need to remember the wildernesses He has led us through. We need to remember how He delivered us. We need to remember how He humbled us – how He fed us when we were hungry, clothed us when we were naked, and gave us water when we were thirsty. We need to remember how He protected us, how He delivered us, and how He forgave us for our many faults and failures. We need to remember that it was not us who got us where we are – it was only the goodness of God! We can love because He first loved us. We can be merciful because He first showed us mercy. We can be gracious because He first gave us grace. We are not self-sufficient, we are grace sufficient – and His grace gives us strength. His grace gives us the ability to act with kindness and compassion. His grace is our strength in times of weakness.

When we find it hard to show kindness – we need to listen to the stories of others. We need to remember that people who have been hurt, will hurt others, because that is what they know. When we listen to them with genuine care and concern, it catches them off guard. It’s unfamiliar, they’re not used to it. When we understand that they may be acting out of anger, hurt, and frustration – then we can begin to put ourselves in their shoes. We can allow our empathy for them to drive our actions towards them. Look for the areas where people may be hurting – and pray for them. Look for the areas where people may be in need – and serve them. When Jesus washed the feet of his disciples – that included Judas who would betray Him and Peter who would deny Him – but Jesus did not allow His hurt to hinder His kindness and compassion. He acted against His flesh, He acted within the Spirit – and He showed grace and mercy. He showed kindness, even though He knew it would not be returned to Him. Let us be like Jesus.

We must not only be kind, but we also must learn to accept kindness when it is given to us. In this world that promotes independence and self-sufficiency, asking for help or accepting help is often seen as a sign of weakness or failure. We do not want to be a burden to others. We do not want to feel as if we “owe” something to others. When we accept gifts of kindness from others, we feel indebted to them and we feel obligated to reciprocate their kindness. Love binds us to one another, so we often put up walls to avoid this type of connection. We do not want to be dependent on others – but we are. We are created for connection. Self-sufficiency is a myth; an illusion. We need others, and we need to learn to recognize that God did not put us on this earth to do it alone. God created Eve as a helper for Adam. God knew we would need other helpers along this journey – that’s why He puts the lonely in families (Psalm 68:6) and that’s why He gives us a body of believers to help us live out the great commission (Acts 2:42-47). We are not alone.

When we attempt to “settle the score” by paying someone back or immediately reciprocating their act of kindness, we are diminishing the value of their gift. I’ve often heard people say, “Don’t rob me of my blessing!” When others feel led to give, let them give. When others reach out their hand to help, reach out and accept it. We must humble ourselves to be kind, and we also must humble ourselves to accept kindness at times. God gives us what we need, when we need it, and He often uses other people to do it.

We need to learn to see other people as gifts for the kingdom rather than as threats to our own self-sufficiency. We work best when we work together. Our gifts compliment one another. We can’t allow this world to continue dividing us. In such an individualistic society, we begin to believe that our talents and abilities belong to us. We begin to believe that our money and resources belong to us. We begin to believe that we earned what we have, that we deserve what we’ve been given – rather than viewing it as a gift of God’s grace. We invest our gifts and abilities back into ourselves, only doing things and saying things that will profit us, only buying and purchasing things that would benefit us. When we withhold kindness, we are hoarding the gifts that God has given us, but in Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus tells us to not to store up treasures on this earth. He tells us instead to store up treasures in Heaven. Kindness is an investment in people. Kindness is an investment in the Kingdom of Heaven. Kindness plants a seed that we may never see come to fruition on this side of Heaven, but we continue planting the seed because we are trusting God to bring the rain and produce the harvest. We need to examine our hearts and examine our gifts. We need to use what God has given us. We need to give out of the abundance God has given to us. We need to be His hands and feet. We need to extend His grace as He has extended it to us. We need to put our love and compassion into action. We need to look for opportunities to show kindness – and we need to be obedient when God calls us to action.

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“Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor”

– Proverbs 21:21

 

The Fruit of Patience

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“We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”

– Romans 8:22-25 (NIV)

“Hope that is seen is no hope at all” – We can’t hope in what we can see. We hope in what we cannot see. We hope in what is yet to come. And because we hope, we wait. We wait patiently. We wait confidently. The word patiently in Romans 8:25 can also be translated as to wait eagerly, or to expect fully. When you are waiting eagerly for something, or fully expecting something to happen, what do you do? You prepare for it.

Think about a child on Christmas Eve. They’ll set out the cookies and milk out for Santa. They’ll brush their teeth and put on their pajamas. They’ll go through the bedtime routine more willingly than any other night of the year. Even though their excitement level is enough to keep them up all night, they know they have to go to sleep in order for Santa to show up. They expect it. They’re eager for it to happen – so they prepare for it.

Think about someone getting ready for a date, or preparing for an interview. Up until the moment they’re walking up to the door, or when they’re inside waiting for the person to arrive, or waiting outside the office door – they’re preparing. They’re going over what they’re going to say, checking their hair and make-up in the mirror, adjusting their clothes, looking back over their resume one more time. They’re getting ready. They’re preparing. Maybe they’re excited, maybe they’re nervous, or maybe it’s a combination of both – but they’re feeling all the feelings because they’re eager. They’re expectant. They know what’s coming next, so they’re getting ready for it.

But what about when the thing we’re waiting on isn’t so positive? What if we aren’t so eager, but afraid of what’s coming next. Patience can also be translated as long-suffering. How do you exercise patience in those moments? What if you’re broken down on the side of the road? You’re waiting for someone to come help jump start your car or change your tire. You’re impatient because you’re ready for it to be fixed. You’re impatient because you’re ready to be back on the road and headed to your destination. You’re worried about how much it may cost. What if you’re waiting in a hospital waiting room? Hospital waiting rooms are a scary place to be. You never know what’s going on with the person next to you. One family may be excitedly welcoming a new life into the world, while the other may be preparing to say their goodbyes to the one they love. Maybe you’re hoping for good news – desperately hoping and praying to hear that everything is going to be okay. But you don’t know for sure. The future seems so very shaky, and so very unknown. Sometimes it feels like that strand of hope is slipping through your hands. How can you hold on to hope? How can you wait well in those moments? The first thing to do is to realize you aren’t alone. There is a Great Physician sitting right beside you, holding your hand. He is our anchor of hope and peace in the midst of fear and uncertainty. He is with you, cling to Him. If there are others around you, friends and family, cling to them. If not, find someone to talk to or simply to sit with –  A pastor. A counselor. A support group. Know that you are not alone. Look for the good, and focus on it. Even when everything around you seems to be going wrong, there is always something to be thankful for. Find that thing, and fix your eyes on it. There is purpose in this time of fear and frustration. Look for that purpose. Fill your time of waiting with prayer, and worship, and service.

We often think of patience as being something that is passive. We think of it as if there is nothing we can do but sit around and wait for it to happen – but that’s not the case. Patience is active. Waiting is an act of service. Think about servers in restaurants – they are called “waiters” and “waitresses” but they aren’t sitting around passively. They’re actively attending to the needs of the restaurant patrons. They’re on the move – constantly going from table to table, asking how things are going, refilling glasses, and taking orders. That’s how our spiritual waiting should be. Patience is difficult when we’re sitting around watching the clock and counting down the time – but it goes by more quickly when our waiting is active.

There is a song by John Waller called While I’m Waiting and in the song he says, “I’m waiting on You, Lord. And I am hopeful. I’m waiting on You, Lord. Though it is painful. But patiently, I will wait. I will move ahead, bold and confident, taking every step in obedience. While I’m waiting, I will serve You. While I’m waiting, I will worship. While I’m waiting, I will not faint. I’ll be running the race, even while I wait.” We can serve Him and worship Him while we wait. We can continue moving forward with boldness and confidence. In fact, Hebrews 12:1 tells us to “run with patience the race that is set before us” (KJV). It seems odd to run with patience. If you’re running, you’re usually in a hurry to get somewhere or you want to finish the race with the fastest time, but a true runner knows that running is about pacing yourself. Slow and steady wins the race – isn’t that what we learned from the story of the tortoise and the hare?

Slowing Down

There is a challenge going around on social media right now called the “candy challenge” – and in this challenge parents sit a bowl of candy out in front of their young kids. They have a hidden camera in front of them and they tell them not to eat the candy until they get back. Then they leave the room. The kids are eager to eat the candy. Many of them immediately stick their hand in and grab a piece. Some of them lick it, smell it, touch it to their tongue – they get as close as they possibly can to eating it. Many of them resist, but it’s not easy. Why do we struggle so much with being patient? We often resist patience because we’re so excited about what’s to come – We’re so excited that we want it right now, but we need to learn to shift our mindset. If those kids would only think – “When mom comes back I get to have this candy!” then the waiting period would be a lot more enjoyable. But instead, all they could think was, “This candy is sitting in front of me right now and I can’t eat it!” They were more focused on the fact that they couldn’t have it right now, instead of the fact that they could have it as soon as their parents returned. That’s often where the root of our impatience lies – We want immediate results and instant gratification.

Our culture values speed. Technological advances are all about saving time. The printing press. The assembly line. The car. The train. The plane. The telephone. The cellphone. The computer. The internet. The microwave. They all have allowed us quicker ways to communicate, to travel, to produce and manufacture goods, to prepare food, to access information. We now have an encyclopedia of news and information right at our fingertips. Literally. We can have anything we want delivered to our front door in a matter of hours. Even our Bible studies and devotionals are often labeled based on the amount of time it will take us to complete it –  “The 1-Minute Bible” or the “The 5-Minute Bible Study.” There are get rich quick schemes, and weight loss programs that try to guarantee you the weight will fall off in 30-days or less. There are apps to help you find love with the swipe of your finger. There are life hack videos and meal prep videos. They all want to save us time, but what are we doing with all this saved time? It almost seems as if we actually ended up with less time than before.

Waiting involves slowing down, and we don’t want to slow down. We want to speed up. We’re constantly in a hurry. We want to do more. We want to accomplish more. We value productivity. We want to do as much as possible, in as little time as possible. That’s why we get irritated when we have to wait in long lines at the store or when the car in front of us doesn’t immediately press on the gas as soon as the light turns green. We get impatient in long lines at amusement parks, in traffic on the way home from work, and when we’re on hold over the phone with a bill collector. We’re in a global pandemic right now, that almost feels as if our whole lives have been put on pause. We don’t know what to do with it, because it is so counter-cultural.

We want quick fixes. We want all our problems solved in as little time as possible, so we grow impatient the longer we have to wait. We become irritated when we’re forced to slow down. But it’s important for us to remember that spiritual growth takes time. James 5:7 says, “Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.” Planting takes time. Farming takes time. Harvesting takes time. Sometimes droughts come. Sometimes we have to till up the ground and start again. How does it impact our spirituality when we live in a culture of drive-thru’s, curbside pick-up’s, and next-day delivery – but serve a God who operates as a patient Farmer? What happens when we pray and God doesn’t immediately answer our prayer? We start to lose faith. We start to lose hope. Even in worship services – We grow impatient if we don’t feel like we’re getting something out of it. In our minds, we’re thinking about what we’re going to have for lunch or what chores we need to be doing at home. We open up our Bibles and skim the pages, but how often do we take the time to read, reflect, and respond to the words? How often do we just sit in the silence and listen for God to speak? In Life on the Vine, Phillip Kenneson writes, “Perhaps our fixation with productivity instills in us a deep sense of impatience that might partly be responsible for our lack of joy in worship. How can we joyfully engage in worship if we are continually mindful of all the other more productive things we could be doing with our time.” It’s a dangerous place to be spiritually. It is counter-productive to our spiritual growth. We need to go against the grain of our society. We need to be more like Jesus.

Like Jesus

When we look at the life of Jesus, we see that He was never in a hurry. He allowed Himself to be interrupted. When the woman with the issue of blood touched His garment, He felt it, and He turned around and made notice of her faith. When a father came asking for a miracle for his daughter who had died, Jesus got up from His teaching and went and followed the man (Matthew 9:18-26). When the disciples saw children coming to Jesus as a distraction and tried to rebuke them, Jesus welcomed them and blessed them and told them the Kingdom of God belonged to them (Mark 10:13-16). When Jesus went to the well for water, He didn’t turn around and leave as soon as He got the water, but instead He sat down and talked with the woman He saw there (John 4). Jesus lived in the moment and was attentive to the needs of those around him. He welcomed distractions. He used interruptions to build relationships, bring healing, and bring salvation.

Like all other Fruits of the Spirit, patience is a characteristic of God. God is love (1 John 4:8) and love is patient (1 Corinthians 13:4). He is slow to anger (Psalm 103:8). As Christians, as followers of Jesus, we should strive to demonstrate this same loving patience and slowness to become angry. James 1:19-20 says, “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” It’s important to realize that scripture does not say God did not become angry; it says He was slow to become angry. There is a such thing as righteous anger. In John 2:13-22 we see Jesus making a whip and driving people out of the Temple who were there selling cattle, sheep, and doves. Then in Matthew 21:12-17 we see Him flipping tables in the Temple when He sees the same thing happening again. In Life on the Vine, Phillip Kenneson writes, “God’s patience does have a purpose; it is not simply restraint for the sake of restraint. God is slow to anger, but God does get angry. God bears with people for a long time, but a time of judgement is coming.”

Bearing with someone is a form of patience. Praise God He bears with us. Praise God He is slow to anger, and quick to forgive. Let us imitate His love. Let us imitate His patience. Let us imitate His mercy. Colossians 3:12-14 says, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” In Ephesians 4:1-3, Paul says, “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.” When we are patient with others, we are showing the love of God. When we are patient with others, we are striving for peace. And it isn’t easy; it takes effort. But it is worth it. And love makes it possible.

We can’t take God’s kindness and mercy for granted. We can’t take His patience for granted. It is purposeful. It leads to repentance. Romans 2:2-4 says, “Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” What kind of example are we setting if we return to the sin which God so mercifully freed us and forgave us? We cannot grow weary in doing good. Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” When asked how often we should forgive someone who wronged us, Jesus responded, “…not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” That requires an immense amount of patience. But it is possible. We can forgive others because He first forgave us. We can be patient with others because He is patient with us. In 1 Timothy 1:16, Paul says, “But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.” Let us be an example of God’s love and patience.

In the words of Paul, I pray this prayer:

“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience.”

– Colossians 1:9-11

 

 

The Fruit of Peace

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What is peace?

Peace is often defined as the absence of conflict or the end of war, but in Scripture, peace is often synonymous with wholeness or salvation. For example, Isaiah 52:7 says, “How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good new of happiness, who announces salvation…” The Gospel is good news of peace. In the Armor of God passage of Scripture in Ephesians 6, verse 15 tells us to shod our feet with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace.

I find it interesting that in both of these passages of Scripture, peace is correlated with our feet. Often, we think of peace as being associated with our mind and the way we think, but it is more so about our lifestyle and the way we walk out our faith. Isaiah 59:8 says, “They do not know the way of peace, and there is no justice in their tracks; They have made their paths crooked, whoever treads on them does not know peace.” Romans 3:17 also refers to a “path of peace” and in Luke 1:79 Zechariah prophesied that Salvation would come “… to guide our feet in the way of peace.”

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for peace is “Shalom” which means completeness in number, safety or soundness in body, welfare, health, and prosperity. Shalom means peace, quiet, tranquility, and contentment. As Phillip Kenneson writes in Life on the Vine, shalom “refers to the state of well-being, wholeness, and harmony that infuses all of one’s relationships. Such a view of peace is inherently social; to be at peace only with oneself is not to experience shalom in all its fullness.”

We need people. We need community to experience true peace. Romans 12:18 says, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.” This is a difficult task for us to work towards when we live in a society that is so individualistic and divisive.

We live in an electronic age that allows us to hide behind a screen. We can type out hurtful words and press the send button, knowing we would never actually say those words aloud if we were face to face with the person on the other end. We can’t see the impact of our words, so we can’t see the harm being done. With these technological advances, we can create an image of the person we want others to see us as online. We only post the pictures we want them to see, and only share the stories we want them to hear. Meanwhile, we are completely alone, completely anonymous, and completely void of true connection. Without true connection, how can we know true peace?

Even outside of technology, we’re still divided. The media has divided us. Marketing has divided us. Politics have divided us. Greed has divided us. Pride has divided us. The love of money and the desire for power has divided us. As Phillip Kenneson writes, “Politics no longer involves the search for the common good, but a competition between warring factions, each bent on securing or protecting its own interests. All of this contributes to the further fragmentation of our lives, both as individuals and as a society.” The world sees no gray area, no middle ground, no sense of nuance. Only right and wrong. Only us against them. And this leaves little room for peace. We are taught to think one way, and we rarely see both sides of the story. We rarely listen to people with different worldviews and different life experiences than our own. When we’re so focused on ourselves, we start to lose sight of the bigger picture. When we never lift up our eyes to see what’s going on in the world around us, then we eventually end up tripping over own feet as we journey on the path to peace.

In Life on the Vine, Kenneson describes how our fragmented lives have created a barrier to peace. He says, “trying to embody such integrity (that is, a fully integrated life) is difficult in a society that cultivates fragmentation rather than wholeness or shalom.” What does it mean for us to live fragmented lives? Think about this: Is who you are when you’re at home different from who you are when you’re out in public? The way we talk and interact with our neighbors and the people we live around may be different from how we talk and interact with those we work with, and the person we portray ourselves to be at church may be different from the person we portray ourselves to be with our friends and family. Does that sound familiar? Isn’t it exhausting? No wonder it’s so hard for us to be at peace with ourselves and with other people. How do we know which one is the real us? How do we know what our real convictions are verses the opinions that we’ve formed based on other people’s opinions? Each group of people we surround ourselves with have different expectations of us, so we shape and mold ourselves to fit into the image of who they want us to be. We are far too concerned about what other people think about us, and the truth is, no one really cares about the image we’re portraying because they’re too concerned with their own image.

Even our Christianity has become individualized. We call it a “personal” relationship with Jesus. We choose our churches based on what’s convenient for us and what’s most beneficial for us. We complain about church when we don’t “get something out of it.” We leave a church when they didn’t reach out to us, or when they did or did not do this for us. We make it about ourselves, but the church doesn’t exist for us. The church exists to glorify God and make His Name known. The church exists for the community. The church exists to make disciples, to care for the orphans, the widows, and the least of these. We are part of a body of Christ, and peace is found when we are all working together in harmony towards one purpose. Peace is found when we use all of our differing spiritual gifts to spread the Gospel of Peace – the Good News of a Savior who unites both Jew and Gentile, male and female, slave and free. Peace is found when we lay down our pride. Peace is found when we shift our focus from ourselves and start putting the focus on serving and honoring God with every breath that He graciously gives to us.

Peace is a gift.

In John 14:27 Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”

If peace is a gift, then what does that tell us about peace? That tells us it can’t be bought, and it can’t be earned. It must be received. If you want to receive peace, you have to open your hands to accept it. You have to surrender. You have to let go of control. You have to let go of pride, and selfishness. You have to let go fear, anxiety, and insecurity. You have to trust the Giver of the gift. You have to trust that He is the Giver of good gifts. You have to trust His intentions, trust His plan, and trust His purpose. You have to trust that He gives out of the abounding love He has for us. He does not intend to harm us, but is working all things together for good.

Peace is freely given to us. And that’s great news! Who doesn’t love a good gift?! But in this particular passage of Scripture we can’t be so quick to focus on the peace that we neglect to consider the words that came before the gift of peace:

“I am leaving you…”

Suddenly that peace doesn’t seem like such a great gift – because Jesus didn’t just give it, He left it. Jesus spoke these words to His disciples on the night of the Last Supper, the night before His death. Jesus was warning His disciples about what was to come, and in leaving them with the gift of peace, He was leaving them with a gift they didn’t even know they needed yet. They didn’t understand. They couldn’t comprehend. Jesus had shifted their world upside down, and they could never have imagined a world without Him in it. They could never have imagined the horrors He would face on the cross. They could never have imagined that He was going to die and rise again. They could never have imagined the persecution and martyrdom they themselves would face as His followers. And Jesus knew that. Jesus knows our hearts. He knows our limited understanding. He is compassionate. He is merciful. He is gracious. In verse 29 He says, “I have told you this before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe.”

Peace is a promise.

Last week, when we talked about joy, we talked about its connection with sorrow. This week, we see that peace is closely connected with fear and anxiety. Jesus knew that because He experienced our humanity. In Him, we find faith to face our fears. Jesus gave the gift of peace before the promise of pain was fulfilled because He knew it was coming. He equips us for every trial we will ever face. He does not leave us alone. With the gift of peace, comes the gift of His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is our Peace. And Jesus said “It’s better that I go so the Holy Spirit can come” (John 16:7). The Holy Spirit is our Comforter. He is our Helper. He is our Advocate. “These things I have told you,” Jesus says in John 13:33, “so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

Jesus tells us that His gift of peace is not the same peace that the world offers. The world offers a fake peace, a counterfeit peace. The peace that the world offers only provides a temporary fix; it puts a band-aid over the gaping wound of sin in our lives. The peace the world offers just wants us to forget our troubles or mask our troubles. There’s no promise to remember. The peace the world offers is found in money and possession, in lustfulness and addiction, in likes and attention. The peace of this world is found when we blend in with this world, but the peace of God is found when we stand out from this world. The peace of God is found only in Jesus. The peace of God is found when we praise Him even in the midst of the storm. The peace of God is when we smile, even when our hearts are heavy and burdened. The peace of God is found when we surrender fully to Him, even when our minds are filled with fear and anxiety. There is a song called Peace by Hillsong Young & Free and the words say, “You will stay true, even when the lies come. Your word remains truth, even when my thoughts don’t line up. I will stand tall on each promise you made… Dare anxiety come, I’ll remember that peace is promise you keep.” We find the promise of peace in the words of Jesus. Countless times throughout John 13-16 we see Jesus start a statement with the phrase “These things I have spoken to you…” or “This I have told you…”  In John 16:33 He says, “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace.” His words hold the gift of peace, and we find peace when we call those words to remembrance.

In Hebrews 10:32-35, Paul writes:

“But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings, partly by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated. For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one. Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.”

If peace is a promise Jesus spoke to us, then we can trust He will provide peace for us. We can trust His Word because He is faithful to fulfill all that He has promised. Jesus does not just speak truth, Jesus is truth. Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). Peace is not a place we go to, it’s a person we run to. The Prince of Peace is the One walking with us through all of our trials. The Prince of Peace is the One in the boat with us in the midst of the storm. When He speaks, the winds and waves cease. His presence is all the peace we need. So why do we fear? We often fear because we do not trust Him. When Jesus calmed the storm for His disciples, He asked them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Fear is the opposite of faith. Do you know what command is given more often than any other command in Scripture? Do not fear. I’ve heard it said that the command is given 365 times throughout Scripture – once for every day of the year. We constantly need to be reminded not to fear. We constantly need to be reminded to trust Jesus to be our Peace and to speak Peace into our lives. Peace is not the absence of conflict – We will face troubles in this life. We will face times of fear and uncertainty – but peace is an anchor in the midst of the storm. Peace is calmness even in the midst of the chaos. Peace is the ability to find harmony even with those who are different from us – even when the world is doing everything it can to try and divide us. When we live at peace, we live in the confidence that Jesus is exactly who He says He is and that He will do exactly what He says He will do. Peace is a way of life. Psalm 34:14 says, “Depart from evil and do good. Seek peace and pursue it.” We should always be seeking peace with ourselves, peace with each other, and peace with God. We pursue peace when we pursue Jesus. As long as we are seeking after Jesus, then we are seeking after peace!

The Fruit of Joy

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Joyful

“This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

– Psalm 118:24

What is the source of your joy? What brings you joy? What makes you glad and brings you good cheer? Is it a person who gives you joy – Someone who’s smile brightens your day? Someone you enjoy spending time with and always look forward to seeing? Or is it an activity you enjoy doing – maybe a sport or hobby that you could do for hours and never get tired of, something you plan your days and weekends around and always make time for in your schedule? Or maybe it’s a place you enjoy going to – a certain spot of your house you’ve claimed as your own that always calms you and puts you at ease? Maybe a favorite vacation spot that holds a lot of precious memories for you and your family?

Once you’ve identified what brings you joy, the next question to ask yourself is – how do you know it brings you joy? What does joy look like? What does it feel like? How do you express joy? How do you experience joy? Do you leap and dance with joy? Do you rejoice with songs of praise? Or does your joy look more like quiet confidence and a simple smile, or maybe even a burst of laughter?

Spiritually speaking, joy is often the result of spending time in fellowship with God. Psalm 16:11 says, “…In your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.” Spiritually speaking, God is not only the source of our joy, but He is also the object of our joy. Psalm 4:7 tells us He has put joy and gladness in our hearts, and in Psalm 51:12 David pleads with God to “restore to me the joy of your salvation.” Psalm 35:9 says, “My soul shall rejoice in the Lord; it shall exult in His salvation.”

The Joy of Salvation

This connection between joy and salvation is no mistake. The Greek word for joy is “chairo” which is very similar to the Greek word “charis” which means grace. Grace is defined as the unmerited favor of God, and grace is the reason we can experience true and lasting joy. In the book Life on the Vine, Phillip Kenneson describes the similarity between these two words by saying, “…both imply the activity of freely taking delight in something or someone beyond one’s self.” Throughout Scripture we see joy expressed as a response to salvation. In the Old Testament, we see joy expressed as a response to delivery from exile (Isaiah 35:10, 52:9, 62:5, 65:17-19, Zephaniah 3:17). We even see in these passages that God also rejoices over us. He takes delight in us. He rejoices over us with singing. How encouraging to know that God rejoices over us like a proud parent! Is there something that once had you enslaved? If you’ve found freedom, or if you’re on your way to freedom – know that God is rejoicing in this freedom with you! He does not rebuke us, but rejoices over us. In the New Testament, we see joy expressed as a response to being healed physically (Luke 13:13, 17:15, Acts 3:8, 8:8) and as response to spiritual conversion (Acts 8:39, 15:3, 16:34, John 4:36). We also see joy expressed as a result of fellowship with other believers (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20, 3:9, Philippians 4:1, Romans 15:32, 2 Timothy 1:4, and Philemon 1:7). Paul often told the churches he wrote to that he longed to see them because of the joy they brought him. There is joy in community. There is joy in gathering together with our brothers and sisters in Christ. And finally, we also see joy expressed as a response to the hope of resurrection. In Luke 24:40-41 Jesus shows the disciples His hands and His feet after appearing to them after the resurrection. But Scripture says, “they still could not believe it because of their joy and amazement.” I find it interesting in this verse that they could not believe because of their joy. It’s almost as if Luke is telling us – they couldn’t believe because it was too good to be true. Has your joy ever kept you from believing something to be true? In this passage, after Jesus ascends to Heaven, verse 52 says, “And they, after worshipping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy.” The Gospel is good news of great joy. The Gospel goes forth because of our overwhelming sense of joy that we can’t help but share with others!

But there are also obstacles to joy. What are some things that stand in your way and keep you from experiencing joy?

The Obstacles of Joy

Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” How often do we compare ourselves to others? I should be further along in my life, I should have accomplished more, I should be married, I should have children, I should have more money, more possessions, less financial strain, less emotional struggle, I should look this way or I should look that way. Do any of those statements sound familiar? The culture we live in today, all the advertising and all the social media feeds – they are constantly asking us to compare ourselves to others. We are always desiring more, always desiring new, always desiring better. We are rarely content with our life exactly as it is. We can never be content or full of joy when we can’t seem to see beyond ourselves to the bigger work God is doing. We can’t rejoice in the Lord today and embrace His presence today if we are constantly filled with worry and anxiety about what tomorrow will bring. We’re afraid of being different, afraid of going against the grain, so we do everything we can to try to fit in and blend in – but there is no joy in a life that is not authentic to who God created you to be. There is no joy in living a life that is outside of alignment with and the plan and purpose God designed you to fulfill.

The Relationship Between Joy and Sorrow

In addition to the relationship between joy and salvation, there is also a relationship between joy and sorrow. Have you ever seen the movie Inside Out? It’s a children’s cartoon that is based on five of the primary emotions and how they guide our thoughts and actions. It gives lifelike characteristics to these emotions, with the primary character being Joy – and Joy is who we always want in control. Joy is the one who gives us all of our happiest memories. But there’s another character – Sadness. And throughout the movie, no one wants sadness in control of anything. Everything she touches turns sad and gloomy. But at the end of the movie, we learn the importance of sadness. We learn that we need sadness in order to experience joy. When we are sad, the people we love come to comfort us and cheer us up. They strive to make sure we feel seen, heard, and cared for. Some of our most joyful memories are preceded by moments of grief and sorrow, because it’s in times of sorrow that we seek that comfort and belonging. We wouldn’t know the fullness of joy if we hadn’t first known the fullness of sorrow. And we see this correlation in Scripture as well.

Psalm 30:5 says, “…Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning.”

Psalm 126: 5 says, “Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting.”

In Luke 6:22-23, Jesus says, “Blessed are you when men hate you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven…”

In Acts 5:40-41, the apostles were flogged and ordered not to speak the name of Jesus, but when they were released they went on their way “…rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name.” And Scripture says they went on teaching and preaching the name of Jesus Christ.

In Acts 16:25, Paul and Silas were imprisoned, and yet they were praying and singing hymns of praise to God! Joy is not bound by our physical circumstances. The joy of the Lord is a joy that endures even when the circumstances around us are telling us to be sorrowful and discouraged.

In Colossians 1:24 Paul writes, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake…”

In 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7, Paul encourages the church at Thessalonica by reminding them they “…received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit.” They were joyful, despite the persecution they had endured. And they became an example to all the believers.

James 1:2-4 says, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

1 Peter 4:13 says, “…But to the degree that you share in the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.”

Joy is able to endure through trial and sorrow because it is different than happiness or pleasure. Joy goes deeper. Joy is more eternal. The object of our delight is different with joy. As Phillip Kenneson writes, the level of our delight “will differ to the extent that we are drawn out of ourselves.” He goes on to say, “The more we are drawn out of ourselves, the more we likely characterize our delight as joy rather than simply pleasure.” Joy reaches beyond ourselves and beyond our own fears and insecurities. True joy is rooted in the deep and abiding love of Christ. It is rooted in the hope He offers.

How Can We Cultivate Joy in Our Lives?

Joy is often found in the most simple things. Do you remember the “Chewbacca Mom” video? It was a video that went viral on Facebook Live a few years ago. In the video, Candace Payne, a mom of two, spontaneously purchased a Chewbacca mask at a Kohl’s, and couldn’t wait to get home and try it out in front of her kids, so she sat in her car and tried it on for all of friends and family on Facebook. She then proceeded to laugh hysterically at herself wearing the mask, and the Chewbacca sounds coming from the mask only intensified the laughter. Her laughter was contagious. Hundreds of thousands saw the video, joined in her laughter, and shared it with their friends and family. Candace ended the video, weak from laughter, with the phrase, “It’s the simple joys, ya’ll!” That video created a ripple effect of joy across the world. And in the days and weeks that followed, Candace gained a platform on which to share the source of her joy. Because her joy is a joy that comes from the Lord. She is now a Christian speaker, author, and podcast host – and God used a Chewbacca mask to make it happen. She lived in the moment, embraced a moment of joy, and is still feeling the effects of it to this day. That’s the power of joy.

When the seeds of joy have been planted and cared for, they multiple and bring forth more fruit. So how can we cultivate and grow the fruit of joy in our lives?

We cultivate joy through worship and thanksgiving.

Make a list of things that bring you joy. Keep a gratitude journal. It’s something so simple that changes your perspective and shifts your focus to things above. When we realize how much we have to be thankful for, we can’t help but worship and praise the God who is the creator and giver of goodness.

Psalm 63:5-7 says, “My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth offers praises with joyful lips. When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches, For You have been my help, And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.”

Even in the shadow there is something to be thankful for. There is a reason to rejoice, if only because we are close to the Father and safe under His wings.

Psalm 66:1-2 says, “Shout joyfully to God, all the earth; Sing the glory of His name; make His praise glorious.”

Worship Him with songs of thanksgiving. Worship Him with songs of praise. Worship Him with shouts of joy.

Psalm 68:3-4 says, “But let the righteous be glad; let them exult before God; Yes, let them rejoice with gladness. Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Lift up a song for Him who rides through the deserts, whose name is the Lord, and exult before Him.”

Psalm 84:1-2 says, “How lovely are Your dwelling places, O Lord of hosts! My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord; My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.”

In 2 Samuel 6:12-22 David expressed His joyful gratitude to God in the form of leaping and dancing. When the ark of the covenant was brought to Jerusalem, Scripture says David was “…dancing before the Lord with all his might” (v. 14). He was “leaping and dancing before the Lord” (v. 16). And when Saul’s daughter saw it and spoke against this “undignified” display of leaping and dancing, David responded by reminding her that He was chosen and appointed by God. “Therefore,” he says, “I will celebrate before the Lord” (v. 21).

We cultivate joy through traditions.

Holidays are Holy Days. Culture. History. Stories. Songs. Feasting. Fellowship. These are all things that bring us joy. These are all things that are found throughout Scripture. These are all things that God gave priority to in Scripture. The Gospel was passed down through the sharing of stories. Jesus celebrated the tradition of Passover by sitting around a table and breaking bread with His disciples. Sabbath rest – one day each week of ceasing from work – is a commandment of God. What are some traditions in your life that bring you joy? If you don’t have any traditions in your life right now that bring you joy, start your own traditions. Create regular rhythms and routines in your life around the things that bring you joy and point you to Christ.

We cultivate joy by spending time with children.

Children are a source of joy because they are full of joy, and joy is contagious. Children see the world differently than we do. They find joy in simple things, things that we would normally overlook and not give a second thought to. Maybe you don’t have children of your own, but you can visit with your friends and family who have children. You can offer to babysit for them. You can volunteer at school events and church events. When we surround ourselves with childlike faith and joyfulness, it bolsters our own faith and fills us with joy.

What are some other ways you can cultivate joy in your life?

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