Who Is the Holy Spirit and What Does He Have To Do With Fruit? (Part 9)

As Christians, we're supposed to be filled with the Spirit of God. But what, exactly, does that look like? Well, for one thing, it looks like self-control.

What in the Word: Galatians 5:22-25

Hang-Onto-It Verse: "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." (Galatians 5:22-23a)

Sweet friends, I'm so honored to introduce to you the authors of the final post in our fruit of the Spirit series. Kyrsten Newlon (my honorary niece) and her friend Rebekah True are from Richland, Michigan, and have only recently begun writing Christian articles online. They love writing books together, performing in musicals, and blogging. Jesus Christ has transformed their lives and given them a beautiful friendship that shines into all they do together. Drink in Kyrsten and Rebekah's words, written straight from their sweet young hearts...

The last characteristic of the fruit of the Spirit is self-control. I think a lot of Christians kind of skip past this virtue when reading through the list. How often do we assume that we can easily control ourselves? But as I think more deeply on this subject, the more I realize that God doesn’t want us to control us. He wants Him to control us. Let’s dive in…

What is it? So what is self-control? According to the dictionary, it is defined as “the ability to control oneself, in particular one's emotions and desires or the expression of them in one's behavior, especially in difficult situations”. Okay. Easy enough. But what does the Bible say about self-control?

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age” (Titus 2:11-13).

God has prepared our hearts for Him. As God’s living temples (2 Corinthians 6:16), we are called to be pure and godly, not lacking self-control. I believe that it is very important to have self-control as God’s temple. Jesus dwells in me, and so I need to make my heart a suitable temple for Him and by Him.

Self-control is important to have as Christians, because we need to be able to control our spirits--to protect our hearts from bad influences and keep our bodies from harmful habits. Self-control will refine your life and, as you apply it to your behavior, you will notice a change of heart. The Holy Spirit will be able to take better control of your life to guide you in the direction that God has for you.

Who has it? 2 Timothy 1:7 says that God has granted us a spirit of power, not of fear. This beautiful, sacred spirit offered to us by God directs our heart and guides us if we have accepted him. God will give the spirit of power and self-control to anyone who asks. “Each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable” (1 Thessalonians 4:4).

Each of us should have self-control. Not just the ones who struggle with anger issues or anxiety levels. Let’s be honest, don’t we all have our struggles? Every one of us struggles with temptations and every one of us need the Holy Spirit’s control.

Good news! God loves to give his self-control to us all. He loves giving us the Holy Spirit. We just need to step out and take it.

What next? “Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control" (1 Corinthians 7:5b).

Once we have the Holy Spirit, Satan and our human wills will fight against it. It's hard to discern when it is the Spirit speaking to us or Satan trying to deceive us in disguise. But you can be sure that if you ask God for clarity in his voice, He will give you answers in his perfect timing. Do not forget about God’s spirit of control. His will for you is best, so don’t try to fight it. He will help you control everything from your food habits to your temper, and much more. So then, go forth and conquer in the name of Jesus! His spirit will produce fruit in you…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The control of the Spirit of God!

“For this very reason, 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.” (2 Peter 1:5-6).

"When your words came, I ate them; 

they were my joy and my heart's delight." (Jeremiah 15:16)

(Looking for Part 8 of this series? Find it here.)

7 Lessons From a Reluctant Women's Bible Study Leader

Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides You, Who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him. – Isaiah 64:4 NIV

Ten years ago, I was talking on the phone with my sister, and we got on the subject of Bible study. “I need to be in a group of women,” she told me. “I need the accountability. I won’t do it on my own.”

A few days later, I was talking with my cousin Karen, and we got on the subject of Bible study. “I need to be in a group of women,” she told me. “I need the accountability. I won’t do it on my own.”

A few days later, I was talking with my church friend Pam, and we got on the subject of Bible study. “I need to be in a group of women,” Pam told me. “I need the accountability. I won’t do it on my own.”

At which point, God had my attention.

A few weeks later, Pam and I headed up a planning meeting at church, and a few weeks after that, we held the first session of Proverbs 32 women’s Bible study. (No, we’re not trying to add to Scripture; we just wanted to convey that while we were striving to reach the Proverbs 31 standard, we weren’t there yet. We should have called ourselves Proverbs 30, but the “Sayings of Agur” didn’t seem to convey our mission. So we went with Proverbs 32…P32 for short.)

Just last week, my Bible study sisters and I wrapped up our 10th (!) season. I can hardly believe we've been at it this long. I can hardly believe it got started in the first place. Because I was possibly the least-qualified woman in the world to lead a women's Bible study.

But God has a way of working with the least.

I'm so grateful to Kelsey at The Unabashed Life for originally featuring this post in her Unabashed Woman Series. Now, just barely on the other side of another season of study, Kelsey has graciously given her blessing for me to share these lessons from the least here…treasured souvenirs from a very special journey.

1. With God’s help, you can do what you can’t. I was not qualified to facilitate a women’s Bible study. I am neither theologian nor Bible scholar. I am an introvert. I’d never even done a full-on Bible study before, much less headed one up.

Now I’ve learned that if God calls you to it, He will equip you for it. I brought plenty of weakness to the Bible study table—and there God showed His perfect power (2 Corinthians 12:9). Many weeks, after I’ve told God, “I can’t do this. I need You to do it through me and for me,” I’ve driven home from church praising God for the honor and thrill and wonder of seeing Him work.

2. You can love what you don’t even know you like. On a list of spiritual blessings from my entire life, P32 is very near the top. But before I wandered blindly in, doing or leading women’s Bible study wouldn’t have been on the list at all. Our God of surprises sprung this passion on me when wasn’t even looking for it.

3. Silence does not equal disinterest, boredom, or anger. In P32’s early days, I agonized that ladies who never spoke up didn’t like the material or didn’t like me—or both. But after more than one of them told me privately, “I love this study and this group. I’m getting so much out of it,” I quit worrying about my non-talkers. Someone can be engaged and enthusiastic without saying a word.

4. Pray. (Wisely.) From the beginning, we knew we needed to pray with and for each other. But in order to dedicate most of our time to studying and discussing the Word, we started using prayer cards. Every week, our members wrote their names on index card and, if they wanted to, a praise or a request. I shuffled the cards and handed them back out, and each woman committed to praying for the sister whose name was on the card. We also formed a closed Facebook group, open to all members of P32 but not to anyone else—a safe, private place for us to all share in one another’s joys and sorrows.

5. Do your best to choose a study that’s right for your group, but don’t get hung up trying to find THE right study. Every year, God has graciously guided me toward and then confirmed a study I felt was a good fit for us. But I always come back to this truth: as long as we are digging into His Word and using careful, humble teaching to do it, Jehovah will bless and inform us. He is not so stingy as to leave us just because we don’t choose one “right” study. He is bigger and more generous than that.

6. Growing pains are normal, but they probably won’t last long. We had seven ladies our first season of P32, and it was so special we couldn’t keep it to ourselves. We started showing and sharing it, and others began saying, “I want that.” Twenty women showed up at our first meeting that second year. We revamped our format to accommodate the growth, but it was unsettling. “I just feel like crying,” one our founding members told me, and I shared her grief. We went back to our original structure and quickly settled into a new normal with a larger group. It wasn’t the same, but it was still good.

7. You will scarcely know a sweeter privilege on this earth than that of watching—before your very eyes– another woman grow in her knowledge of God and her love for Him. The gift of having a fellow sister in Christ tell you that because of what she’s learned in a study, she chose differently or reacted differently or thought differently or felt differently than she “normally” would have is immeasurable. It is worth every worry, every difficult morning, every beyond- ourself moment. To borrow from 3 John 4: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my [study sisters] are walking intruth.” My heart breaks with happiness just thinking about it. 

In a few months, if God wills it, I might once again take the seat at the front of the table in our Bible study meeting room. From there, I’ll look for new lessons that I AM—The One and Only…the God of Daniel, Esther, James…the Spirit Who produces fruit—has ready for me and for the women seated around me. I can’t wait.

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him. – 1 Corinthians 2:9 NIV

How about you, sweet friend? Have you led Bible study and learned some lessons along the way? Or have you sensed God calling you to lead (er, "facilitate") but are holding back? I'd be honored to have you share your story in a comment.

Who Is the Holy Spirit and What Does He Have to Do with Fruit (Part 8)

As Christians, we're supposed to be filled with the Spirit of God. But what, exactly, does that look like? Well, for one thing, it looks like gentleness.

What in the Word: Galatians 5:22-25

Hang-Onto-It Verse: "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." (Galatians 5:22-23a)

Welcome to the penultimate post in our Fruit of the Spirit series! As we finish out this series on the qualities of the fruit of the Spirit, I've been sharing the wisdom and inspiration of other writers. Now I'm honored and delighted to introduce you to Karen Del Tatto of Growing Together in Grace and Knowledge. I "found" Karen via the blog hop circuit, and it was one of the happiest things to happen to me last year. I know Karen's gift with words and the wisdom behind them will be sweet for your soul today.

 BLESSED ARE THE MEEK, FOR THEY SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH

Matthew 5:5

I've always admired people who are gentle in their speech, manner and actions. Sweet, soft voices that seem to woo hearers into a peaceful state...attitudes which see good in every person and situation...calmness when circumstances warrant otherwise...

I've been blessed with two people like that in my life: my grandma and a dear sister-in-Christ, Raquel.

My grandmother left such a beautiful legacy. I never once heard her saying anything bad about anyone. She never complained. In fact, when you asked her how she was doing, she would always say, "Oh, I can't complain." Grandma was always happy. I can still hear her sweet voice in my "mind's-ear" saying, "Hi Dear" as I walked in the door. A sweet, gentle spirit...

My friend Raquel taught me much about being a gentle parent. Her children were already well-behaved, but if a situation arose where she needed to intervene, Raquel never raised her sweet sounding voice, but would stay calm as she spoke, her gentleness diffusing the situation, bringing calmness to her children.

I wish I could say both of these gentle spirits shaped me into a gentle phenom, but sadly this is not the case. I don't have a sweet, gentle voice. In fact, it seems physically impossible for me to lower my voice to a whisper. (LOL!) I can be assertive in certain situations, and I tend to complain and be critical. Nothing gentle about any of these things.

I don't know if it seems like it to you, but to me anyway, I feel like people who are gentle are just born with naturally sweet voices and dispositions.

But, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we are all called and capable of being gentle. For we are born of the Spirit, and He has planted the fruit of gentleness deep within us. 

The Merriam Webster dictionary defines gentle as:

• having or showing a kind and quiet nature : not harsh or violent
• not hard or forceful
• not strong or harsh in effect or quality

Similarly, a synonym of gentle, meek is defined as: quiet, gentle, and easily imposed on; submissive.

Having a few months lead time to prepare this post, I prayed and pondered about what I might share on the fruit of gentleness. The Lord responded by graciously providing many insights over these weeks and months. But there was one overarching theme that became very evident to me: we have the Perfect example of gentleness to emulate--the Lamb of God.

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, 

and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11:29)

Through this verse, the Lord showed me that gentleness is an antidote for fear.   

A majority of the time, when we find ourselves being harsh and controlling, (the opposite of gentle and humble), we are acting out from fear. In our striving, we are trying to force our wills on the situation, rather than having an attitude of gentleness and humility, which trusts God for the outcome of the situation, bringing rest to our souls.

Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus[a] was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” (John 11:1-15)

Through this, the Lord showed me that our gentleness brings glory to God.

When I'm in a state of rushing, I tend to bang around, loudly complaining that I am late. If I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I look very harsh. It isn't pretty and there is nothing gentle about my demeanor...a very poor testimony.

It seems that inevitably, when we rush, we actually create obstacles that delay us even more, like spilled coffee from moving too quickly and not paying attention, or finally leaving, driving up the road a few minutes, and then realizing we need to go back to get something we've forgotten.

Rushing also exhibits itself through an attitude of impatience. When we are impatiently waiting for something to happen, such as waiting for an answer to prayer, a change in a loved one's detrimental behavior, results of medical tests, word about a job, approval of a mortgage, and the list goes on and on, we tend to fret and feel anxious. My impatience manifests itself through increased activity in an attempt to distract myself. I may become angry that something is not happening fast enough. Instead of calmness and gentleness, I display tenseness and irritability, many times lashing out at others. 

Jesus never rushed anywhere. He was always calm and gentle in His actions, even when those around him were hoping He would rush to help, as in the example of Lazarus, where Jesus chose to wait so that God would be glorified, and the disciples would believe.

God's Kingdom clock ticks differently then our own. He ordains our steps each day. When we view all of life's circumstances through the eyes of God's purposes, even those that seem annoying to us or that we have been waiting on God for, we must trust God's lessons and His perfect timing.

Be still {calm, gentle} before the Lord and wait patiently for him... (Psalm 37:7)

With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love...(Ephesians 4:2)

Going through the day to day activities of life in a gentle manner, taking our time and being purposeful in all that we do, trusting God for the outcome, will not only do wonders for our well-being, but most importantly will bring Glory to God by our witness to others.

  

For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. (1 Peter 2:21-23)

He will not cry out or raise His voice, Nor make His voice heard in the street.  A bruised reed He will not break And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish. (Isaiah 42:2-3)

Through these verses the Lord showed me that a gentle spirit gives grace at all times.

Unfortunately, I'm sure we've all experienced those people that like to "push our buttons" to the point that we respond harshly. We tell ourselves that we aren't going to let this person get to us, but then it happens, we explode...

There are also the little irritations in life that seem to "push our buttons." We show frustration to our husband who hasn't done something we've asked him to do; or speak angrily to a child who is throwing a tantrum.

O, that when our "buttons are pushed" we would pour out gentle grace instead of frustration and anger.

Jesus was the epitome of gentleness, even at the hands of His tormentors, never responding harshly, always extending grace. The culmination of this great grace flowed down from the cross: Jesus' blood, washing away the sins of the world, extending God's love and mercy to all who would believe.

After seeing the examples of Jesus' gentle ways, you might be thinking the same thing I am...

How can I possibly attain to the level of gentleness that Jesus exhibited? He was the perfect, spotless Lamb of God who knew no sin. I am a sinner with a bent to sin and self!

By abiding in Jesus.

Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches. The only way a branch is able to produce fruit is by staying connected to the vine, the lifeblood, that courses through, nourishing the branch.

How do we abide?

Through prayer and time in the Word, growing us spiritually.

 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, 

full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. (James 3:17)  

Through being part of a church body, and having fellowship with other believers, encouraging practical application.

I can definitely say that all of the positive spiritual changes in my own life, on a practical level, can be directly traced back to the encouragement and example of fellow believers who I had consistently spent time with or from teachers whose lessons I sat under often.

If the fruit of gentleness is something that you could produce a bigger bushel of {like myself}, find a gentle friend and learn from her and her ways; then be intentional to exercise the muscle of gentleness, and it will grow and become defined and evident, testifying to those around you, bringing glory to God.

May God strengthen us to...

... pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.(1 Timothy 6:11)

...let {our} gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. (Philippians 4:5)

"When your words came, I ate them; 

they were my joy and my heart's delight." (Jeremiah 15:16)

(Looking for Part 7 of this series? Find it here.)

Who Is the Holy Spirit and What Does He Have to Do with Fruit (Part 7)

As Christians, we're supposed to be filled with the Spirit of God. But what, exactly, does that look like? Well, for one thing, it looks like faithfulness.

What in the Word: Galatians 5:22-25

Hang-Onto-It Verse: "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." (Galatians 5:22-23a)

This is going to be a different kind of post, sweet friends. As we finish out this series on the qualities of the fruit of the Spirit, I've been sharing the wisdom and inspiration of other writers. I asked my 12-year-old, who loves to write, to share with you on faithfulness. Which she agreed to do...until school and dance and band and other life stuff got in the way. So you're back to me for this post, and because I'm doing this in the thick of the Christmas season, I'm just going to write in relatively unstructured fashion.

What other words come to mind when you think of faithfulness? My brain leaps pretty quickly toward loyalty, consistency, dependability. A few years ago, my uncle was talking about my dad, and he said, "Russ...he's steady." Yes. Steady. My dad is steady. My husband, bless his heart, is steady. And Abba is steady. Look up James 1:17. I love the beautiful word picture of faithfulness James paints in the last part of that verse.

Our pastor at church has been challenging members of our congregation to prepare their testimonies--and to be ready to share them, at any time, in four minutes. I've been working on mine, and I don't know of a better way to write on faithfulness than to share it here. Not because I have been faithful, but because God has.

This is my story. This is my song.

I grew up in the church. This is a truth I write with a heart full of gratitude, because I do not take it for granted, and as an adult, I know what a gift it is.

From the time I was a baby, I was in church every Sunday morning. When I was old enough, I went to Sunday School every week. I sang in the "cherub choir." I went to Vacation Bible School and summer church camp. And because of all this, truth about Who God is was woven into the fabric of my reality all along.

I learned that the Earth is round, that the sun comes up every morning, that 2 + 2 = 4, and that God loves me and wants me to belong to Him and that He sent His Son Jesus to deal with the sin that gets in the way of our relationship. 

The was my reality, and I accepted it with the childlike faith God says we all have to have to enter His kingdom. Out of this faith, I prayed a prayer in my bedroom of my parents' house when I was in about third grade. I told God I believed in Him and that I knew I was a sinner. I asked Jesus to wipe my sins away and to come live in my heart and to make it possible for me to go to heaven when my life on this earth was done.

I absolutely believe I received eternal salvation in that moment. I believe my status as a child of God was sealed that night. And I believe God wrote my name in His Lamb's Book of Life (see Revelation 21:27)--and there it remains to this day.

If you're waiting for a story of teenage rebellion against God, I don't have one to share. In junior high and high school, I kept wanting to be closer to God, but I didn't really know how to get there.

When I went off to college at a private Christian school where I knew no one, I suddenly got around people who loved God differently than I did. They loved Him more. They loved Him with a passion that was new to me. And I wanted what they had. 

Very quickly, God in His mercy and faithfulness, showed me a game-changing truth. He showed me that up to that point, He had been a piece of my life, but He had never been the whole deal. He had been a spoke on my life's wheel, but He had never been the center Hub. I had compartmentalized God: He was one part of my life, but He was not part of all the other parts. I heard Him say to my mind and heart, "Elizabeth. I don't want to be part of your life. I want to be your life."

One night, in the middle of a typical young-adult personal crisis, I sat in the dark on my bed in my dorm room and cried out to God like I never had before. I lifted up my soul to Him, using these words from Psalm 25: "To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul; in You I trust, O my God. Show me Your ways, O Lord, teach me Your paths; guide me in Your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long" (Psalm 25:1,2,4,5).

Since that night, God has been faithfully--steadfastly, consistently--drawing me to Himself and showing me what life with Him as the center spoke looks like. He has taught me to weave personal, in-depth Bible study, prayer, Christian music, worship, fellowship, and service into the fabric of my existence.

Hebrews 11:1 describes faith as "being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Faithfulness, then, looks to me like acting and living and thinking based on what we hope for but do not yet see fully. Because hope in I AM is never misplaced. Because His love is faithful. Because His redemption is abundant.

Sweet girl, I'm going to wrap this up with a song. When I hear or read the word "faithfulness," I automatically think of the hymn "Great Is Thy Faithfulness." If you're not a hymn fan, take a moment to listen to this version from Page CXVI...an incredible group whose passion is to introduce this present generation to hymns of the past. (Curious about the back story on this group's name? You'll find it at #8 on this list.)

"Great is Thy faithfulness, O God, my Father. There is no shadow of turning with Thee. Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not. As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be. Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning, new mercies I see. All I have needed Thy hand hath provided. Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!"

"When your words came, I ate them; 

they were my joy and my heart's delight." (Jeremiah 15:16)

(Looking for Part 6 of this series? Find it here.)

(in)courage: Surprised by Good

“Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; 

His love endures forever.” {Psalm 107:1 NIV}

Three years ago, our family hosted Thanksgiving dinner for the first time.

I’d waited a while to do it. We had lived in our 100-year-old farmhouse for more than a decade. We had a formal dining room. I knew how to cook a turkey.

But established traditions called for us to spend Thanksgiving Day with my husband’s side of the family one year and with my parents at their house the next.

That year, we were supposed to be at my parents’, but my mom graciously agreed that my little family could host at our house instead. She and my dad would be our guests, along with my brother and sister-in-law and their two children.

I dreamed of how the day would go. It would be cold and gray and dreary…perfect for a fire in the fireplace and cozy indoor games. We would linger over dinner, taking time to savor each dish and share our thanksgivings around the table.

I would set the stage in the dining room ahead of time and then close the double sliding pocket doors. When our company arrived, I would slide the doors open with a flourish to reveal a Norman Rockwell-esque scene.

“Happy Thanksgiving!” I would declare. Probably, there would be applause. Probably, it would be like a Hallmark movie. 

Except, of course, it wasn’t.

Join me over on (in)courage for the rest of this story that I love so much...

Who is the Holy Spirit and What Does He Have to Do with Fruit? (Part 6)

As Christians, we're supposed to be filled with the Spirit of God. But what, exactly, does that look like? Well, for one thing, it looks like goodness.

What in the Word: Galatians 5:22-25

Hang-Onto-It Verse: "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." (Galatians 5:22-23a)

I have such a treat for you, sweet friends. To finish out this series on the qualities of the fruit of the Spirit, I'll be sharing the wisdom and inspiration of other writers. I'm so honored to introduce to you the writer of this post on goodness. Kathleen E. Harris says that she is "the blessed 3rd-grade teacher of Lydia and twice-blessed 3rd and 4th-grade teacher of Anna," but I would say that the greater blessing was my daughters'--that they were Mrs. Harris' students. A 35-year veteran teacher (from pre-K to 4th grade), Kathleen Harris is now retired and enjoying it. Raised by parents who were teachers and evangelists, she has enjoyed traveling to 19 countries and 48 states. Washington and Oregon are on her bucket list. She enjoys golfing, writing, watercolor painting, reading, and singing. She and her husband will celebrate their 40th anniversary in May, and they have one daughter who interprets for the deaf.

Aren’t Goodness and Kindness the Same Thing?

When I was asked if I would take on one of the qualities of the fruit of the Spirit, I waffled between goodness and kindness. I settled on “goodness.” For a little background research, I let my "fingers do the walking" through the Holy Pages...well, in this day and age, through Bible Hub. Right away, I found that many verses used the words “goodness” and “kindness” interchangeably. I wondered, "Is there really any difference between goodness and kindness? Was Paul being redundant?" I didn’t think so. There had to be a difference. Otherwise, why would both terms be listed in Galatians 5:22?  When I Googled for an answer, I found contrary responses, and being one who likes to figure things out for herself anyway, I decided to meditate on Scripture, along with my own experiences with the quality of goodness. So I pondered on a life example with which many of us are familiar.

Parental Advice, For Example

“Be good!” Every mom among us has probably said this while sending children off to school or to some social function like a friend’s birthday party. But what did we mean exactly? Behave yourself, remember your manners, don’t embarrass your parents, follow instructions, do your work, treat others the way you want to be treated. Though we may not have necessarily said “be kind,” certainly kind actions would fall under this category. Therefore, “goodness” seems to be a term encompassing a broader scope of desired behavior.

The “Good” Samaritan…or is it the “Kind” Samaritan?

The obvious Biblical example of goodness would be the parable of the “Good Samaritan.” But does it demonstrate “goodness” or “kindness?” As I read the parable Jesus told, it seems to be a better example of "kindness" or, at the very least, demonstrates the interchangeability of these two words. 

You're probably familiar with this illustration from Luke 10 25-37: a Jewish man, while traveling, is attacked by thieves, stripped of his valuables, beaten, and left for dead. Two different religious leaders pass by him on the opposite side of the road. 

When the Samaritan comes along he does a number of things. Without worrying about the risk to himself, he suspends his travels to attend to the stranger’s wounds. He uses oil and wine, which I suspect was of some value, to disinfect and soothe the man’s injuries. The Samaritan bandages his sores, most likely having to rip up some of his own clothing to make them since Band-aid brand was not available at that time. He puts the man on his own "ride," which was pretty much a one-seater, and walked the remaining miles to the next town leading his donkey carrying the wounded man.       

Once he gets the victim to a town, he does not dump him at the nearest police station or hospital, releasing himself of further responsibility for the man. No, he checks him into an inn, paying for his stay and care. Then the “good” Samaritan promises to come back and make good on any extra costs of the victim’s recovery. 

Let’s look at the list of “good” or “kind” things the Samaritan did…

          1)  stop to aide the victim                                                         

          2)  cleanse, soothe, bandage wounds                              

          3)  give him a ride to town                                              

          4)  put him in an inn to recover, all expenses paid  

I think we would agree that each of his actions could easily be called “kind.”  So, why is he called the “Good” Samaritan?

I believe Jesus is pointing out something about the Samaritan that goes beyond kind.

Why Was the Parable Named the “Good” Samaritan?

I think the Lord included the religious leaders in this parable to draw a contrast between the character of those who display goodness and those who do not. Both the priest and the Levite, upon seeing the man, took a wide path around him (I can imagine them picking up their pace to a jog), and left the victim in their respective dust. Some assumptions can be made about these men. Both of them thought more of themselves than the victim. Not only did they pass him by, they actually crossed to the other side of the road. They wanted absolutely nothing to do with the wounded man. Their only concern was for their own safety and welfare. They were absorbed with their own self-importance, pride, and selfishness. These characteristics are the antithesis of goodness. 

The Essence of Goodness

Humility and compassion are the characteristics of the “Good” Samaritan. The Samaritan did what was “right” even though it was inconvenient and expensive. These traits, then, must be the essence of goodness. The same characteristics are advised in Philippians 2:3-4: "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others."

In 1 Peter 2:9, God calls us priests of a different kind than we see in the parable. "But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light" (New Living Translation).

We are to be examples of God’s goodness, like the Good Samaritan.

The New Living Translation of 2 Peter 1:5 translates the word “goodness” as “moral excellence.” Looking at the example of the Good Samaritan, and what we mean when we say "be good,” we find that “goodness” is more than an expectation to be kind. We expect a “good” person to display “moral excellence”--to do what is right, to be reliable, responsible, trustworthy, and yes, to show kindness. 

photo credit: http://www.prayers-for-special-help.com/bible-verse-pictures.html

How do we acquire goodness?

If you’re like me, you're saying, “Okay, so goodness is a term defined as ‘right’ behavior. Now what? How do I acquire that trait?” I’m certainly no expert, and I’m still working toward obtaining the fruit of the Spirit in my own life. But, I feel a great place to start is in getting your "thinking right." "For as [a person] thinks within himself, so he is" (Proverbs 23:7, New American Standard Bible ).

Romans 12 is a good place to begin. Since goodness requires humility and compassion, as seen in the contrast between the Samaritan and the religious leaders, we need to change our thinking about ourselves and others. Verses 1- 3 urge, “Don’t be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.Then you will know God’s “good, pleasing and perfect will.”  Renewal of the mind, I have found, takes study and saturation in God’s Word and in His Presence. 

     
In this process (and it is a process) of gaining a new way of thinking, I often use www.biblehub.com to search a topic, such as God’s goodness. I have listed some scriptures I found on this subject below. The next step in renewing my mind is meditating on, or pondering, the verses and what they tell me about goodness. I sometimes use the site features of cross references and commentaries to further my understanding.

   

Ephesians 5:8-10 New International Version

"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)

and find out what pleases the Lord."

Romans 2:4 Weymouth New Testament

"Or is it that you think slightingly of His infinite goodness, forbearance and patience, unaware that the goodness of God is gently drawing you to repentance?"

Romans 14:17 New Living Translation

"For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."

2 Peter 1:3 New International Version

"His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness."

Psalm 23:6 New Living Translation

"Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever."

I love the thought that God woos and pursues us to repentance, that He gives us life in the Light while on earth, and in the future, He gives us eternal life in heaven with Him.

Romans 12:3 helps us understand how we should view ourselves. Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given you. We are not to be proud like the religious leaders were. But we are not to think too lowly of ourselves either. We are to make an "honest evaluation of [ourselves]" using the "faith God has given us" as the measurement tool. (See the New Living Translation for reference.) By faith in God, we are His beloved children.

John 1:12 New International Version

"Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."

We are daughters of the Most High King. We are not worthless; we have great value in His sight. He died for us, and lives to intercede for us. But as His children, we are responsible to walk as children of the light just as the Samaritan did, seeking to help those who need it (as stated in verses 9-11 of Romans 12): "Cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord." (For more insights on Romans 12, go to www.livingonthedge.com/r12.)

As God’s child, a recipient of His goodness, I am compelled to ask, as the psalmist did, “What shall I return to the Lord for all His goodness to me?” (Psalm 116:12). My answer is to follow the command in 2 Peter 1:5: “Make every effort to add to your faith goodness…”

"When your words came, I ate them; 

they were my joy and my heart's delight." (Jeremiah 15:16)

(Looking for Part 5 of this series? Find it here.)