I recall I was an angry child. My family had a nickname for me, which was less than flattering. They called me “dik lip.” To translate for all our non-Afrikaans-speaking brethren, this would mean “thick lip” in English. Now, if I were a 20-year-old woman on a Botox regimen, this could have been a great compliment, but for a 5-year-old child, not so much. This was just an indicator of how often I would sulk and pout. I would sulk so frequently that my bottom lip would curl outward and swell like an overfilled water balloon, so hence the nickname.
Unfortunately, being an angry child evolved into being an angry adult (minus the thick lip, thank goodness). Now, there was a lot in my life that had turned me into an angry adult. Inside, I was in turmoil, and full of fear, anxiety, sadness, confusion, despair and rebelliousness. Lots and lots of rebelliousness. Never for a minute did I think I could get myself out of it. And I was right.
Much later in my life (late forties), I met someone who turned everything around for me. I was right, I could not get out of this myself, but for Jesus, this was a piece of cake.
The more I got to know the Lord, the more something changed inside me. I could not explain it. Now this might sound like an exaggeration, but I can assure you it is not. I slowly began to lose that anger, that turmoil and hopelessness. Yet I could still not explain it.
One day, while sitting in Church, the Pastor (it is crazy how it always feels like he’s talking to you) happened to do a sermon on the Fruit of the Spirit. When he read Galatians 5:22-23, I jolted upright in my seat (this is just a literary device, people, I was not really slouched in my seat):
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law (ESV).
Finally, there was a scripture that could describe what I had been unable to.
As we see in the above verse from Galatians, Paul describes what these fruits are. They were the total opposite of what and who I had been. Instead of love, I had hate; instead of joy, I had sadness. I had no peace in me, I was irritable and without patience, I was callous and far from kind, I felt devoid of any goodness, and I was only ever faithful to my basic instincts. I was out of control. Now, people around me would say they saw none of this in me and perhaps on the outside this was indiscernible, but inside I was all of this.
As I probed deeper, I started to learn about the love of Christ and how he can change a person. But before I get further into this, I would like to clarify that I am still a work in progress. I still get angry at times, I still get anxious, impatient and irritable (I can see my wife nodding her head as she reads this), but those moments are gradually becoming few and far between, and when they do emerge, I know I have someone to turn to who reminds me what it is to be a Christian. Do not think that being a Christian turns you into a Saint who suddenly loves everything and everyone, never getting angry, never getting sad or anxious. We are all on a journey, and some of us are at different milestones on that journey. I myself am just reaching the starting line of a long-distance marathon. The starter pistol went off ages ago, and I have been running my heart out, but I have yet to make it over the starting line. Thankfully, though I know it is there, and I will reach it soon.
The fruit of the Spirit, which the Apostle Paul writes about, are nine virtues or character traits we see outlined in the New Testament. They are an expression and the result of a relationship with Christ and the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. These are the attributes that should be evident in the lives of Christians. Without the Fruit of the Spirit, we are not living out the fullness of a Christian life. To be a Christian, it is essential that these traits are the overriding qualities of our character.
In Galatians 5:22, the Greek word for “fruit” is “karpos” (καρπὸς). While generally used to describe edible products, there is another meaning which translates to deed, action, result or profit. We can liken it to phrases such as “fruits of our labour.”
To get these fruits of the Spirit, we need to be repentant of our past sins. We need to turn away from what is evil and turn to what is good. Being a true Christian is not easy; it is hard work, but the rewards are worth it.
Let us look at these fruits in slightly more detail.
Love – Love for others comes from receiving God’s perfect agape love (the love of God for man and of man for God). The sacrificial, unconditional highest form of love from God that should be reflected in our character towards others.
Joy – We do not receive our joy from our external circumstances. It is a deep sense of contentment and gladness that comes from being in a relationship with God.
Peace – The inner peace we have is from reconciliation with God and living in harmony with others. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is seen in the peace we experience, even when everything around us is devoid of tranquillity.
Patience – Slow to anger, even when the situation around us is challenging. We show forbearance to those who would ordinarily make us loose our patience.
Kindness – Putting the needs of others before ours, being friendly, generous and considerate.
Goodness – Integrity in character and action. Not just being a good person but doing good things.
Faithfulness – Loyalty, dependability, honesty, trustworthiness, reliability and commitment in all our relationships.
Gentleness – showing humility and humbleness towards those around you.
Self-control – showing restraint over your desires in the face of temptation. Being disciplined to resist that which you know is harmful to your relationship with God.
All these are a gift from God. It is not something we achieve through our own efforts. As Christians, we can embrace these gifts. Showing these fruits within your character to the outside world will do more to bring the lost to the Lord than any amount of evangelising or preaching.
I would love to be certain that at my funeral, it will be said of me: He was a man of faith. He was a man who brought joy and peace to the world. He showed love and kindness to all those around him. He was humble, loyal and dependable. He was a man of integrity. He lived for Jesus.
What would you like in your eulogy?
