Fruit

As I think I mentioned in yesterday’s blog post What Are You…? I mentioned that this last weekend was our Harvest weekend at Bellshill Salvation Army. For the weekend we had visitors from DHQ, Carole and Elwyn Harries, leading our meetings.

I must admit that having been at many harvest weekends over the years, I wasn’t particularly looking forward to this one, as what was I going to hear this harvest that I haven’t heard plenty of times before? I couldn’t have got it more wrong!

I thoroughly enjoyed our three harvest meetings. The corps sections (senior band, songsters, young peoples’ band and singing company) were all fabulous, but best of all were our leaders for the weekend – their enthusiasm and love for God was clear for all to see throughout the weekend.

Added to all this I found the message from our leaders very challenging and has certainly got be thinking about the person I am, and the Christ-like person I want to be.

Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Words I’m sure most of us have heard many times before, however I was made to think again about them on Sunday – I’d never really noticed before that it says “the fruit of the spirit” rather than “the fruits of the spirit”.

Yes, there is only one fruit of the spirit and that is love…Jesus commands us to

Love each other as I have loved you. (John 15:12 NIV)

He doesn’t command us to be joyful, live in peace, have patience, be kind etc. He simply commands us to love one another just as He loves us.

So why is Galatians are these other things mentioned, well in order to love, we must possess the other qualities mentioned. i.e.  joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

I am far from being Christ-like as I lack many of the qualities required, but recognising my failings is a step in the right direction. Now I must, with God’s help and guidance, become the kind of person God needs and wants me to be…I must learn to love everyone, even those I might presently feel are unloveable.

I pray God will help each of us to learn to love one another as Christ would.