This word translates as self-control and I think it comes last in the list of the fruits of the spirit for a reason. Because in my eyes, self-control is the hardest part. When preparing this article, I would have wished for a guest author to write this article in my place. Because self-control affects every form of physical desire, such as sleep, food, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and especially sexual desire. But also waste or pathological saving, just everything that could take possession of us. Self-control means a clear "no" which we have to say in the most varied of life situations. Self-control is often painful and means giving up for the moment.
I believe that if self-control were at the forefront of the fruits of the spirit, we would be discouraged from the start. Because EVERYONE of us has to open up again and again when dealing with self-control in order to practice it. I wrote that I wanted a guest author to write this post, because I noticed that I often fail here. And I almost felt unworthy to write about this topic. As a person, I really like to eat and if I like it, I'll gladly take an extra portion, even though I'm already full. Afterwards I have an unpleasant feeling of fullness, which I could have avoided with a "no". In other areas of life, too, I am the pleasure type and tend to overdo things. The “GeistesFrucht” series has made me aware of many things where I stand and how much work I still have to do. And the verses 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 have become important to me. There is an impressive description of how Paul lives his faith. And we can take this as an example.
walking in the spirit
The Spirit of God dwells in no one without producing spiritual fruit, and as we grow in these 9 gifts of the Spirit, we walk in the Spirit. When these virtues are entirely absent, however, no good deed or spectacular gift of the spirit can make up for the deficiency. So how should we respond when the works of the flesh have prevailed? How can we make the fruit of the Spirit an integral part of our lives?
We can begin by reminding ourselves daily of three things that are fundamental to every Christian life: repent, request, and renew.
Repent: When the works of the flesh have gained control over us, then we must repent and honestly and specifically confess our sins before God. Perhaps using the list in Galatians 5:19-21 and trusting again that the Son of God loves me and died on the cross for me.
Request: Without the transforming presence of the Holy Spirit, we are all like accursed ground (cf. Romans 7:18). If we are to reap the fruits of the Spirit, then we must ask Him who bestows the Spirit to give us more.
Renew: We renew the look of Jesus Christ, whom the Spirit always desires to glorify. Here we find the fruitful vine: our Lord of love, our King of joy, our Prince of peace, our patient Master, our loving friend, our good God, our faithful Savior, our gentle Lord, our tempting brother in all things became like us and yet remained completely self-controlled.
Just as no one can sit by a waterfall without getting wet, so no one who beholds Christ in faith can remain unfruitful.
Of course, renewing our view of Jesus is not a quick fix, but a lifestyle we must adopt. Renewal is more than a quick thought of God or a quick prayer. We must do more than just glance in Jesus' direction, we must have fellowship with Him. Fellowship with Jesus can never be too intense, and we cannot devote enough energy to cultivating that fellowship.
The fruits of the Holy Spirit are the 9 virtues found in a more perfect form in our Lord Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Spirit we are able to partake of them. Of course we will never have them in this perfect form, but as we keep reaching out to Jesus they will become stronger and stronger in our lives. The last 10 weeks have been a blessed time for me that I wouldn't want to miss. Reach out to the triune God and let the fire of the Holy Spirit grow stronger within you.
Comments