The Fruits of the Spirit

“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires”
Galatia 5:24

In Galatians 5:19 and 5:22, The Apostle Paul explains about the fruits of the flesh and of the spirit. Paul is very graphic in explaining the fruits, or results, of living in flesh. In verses 19-22, Paul lists “sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fists of rage, selfish ambition, dissessions, factions and envy, drunkenness, orgies, and the like” as acts of flesh. In verse 22-23, Paul lists “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” as the fruit of the Spirit.

Paul’s advise here is very simple, but can also be frustrating. Okay, we don’t do witchcraft. But what about hatred? Jealousy? Fists of rage? We do this every day. We feel angry several times in a day, even if we promised God in the morning not to do so. Discord, selfish ambition – we face these feelings daily. Is it possible to free ourselves completely from these mortal feelings? Never angry, never jealous, always loving and faithful? If not, then what’s the point of doing something that’s impossible?

You see, Paul here is not talking about personal impulses. Paul is talking about a lifestyle. He does not say we can’t be angry or jealous. We’re only humans! What he says is, we should stop being angry all the time, making it into our lifestyle. Personal impulses happens naturally: we feel angry if someone steps on our foot. Of course! It hurts! Now, that is normal. But we can control how we react to it, can’t we? One, by shouting and hitting the person who steps on our foot, making sure he feels more pain than we do, or... politely asks him or her to move his/her feet, and then perhaps you’ll get to know a new friend! Paul is not talking about impulses. Paul is talking about how we should react to these impulses. Whether we let it grow and nurture it, or do we change it into something better.

Love, joy, peace... it’s everyone’s dream, isn’t it? Yes. But why can’t everyone have it? Well, it’s a decision thing again. You think that someone like Amy Winehouse will be happy because of her success, money, and fame. You think that Kurt Cobain should be a wealthy and happy man. We all know that’s not the case. We also know their lifestyle. Having personal impulses is not the problem. The problem is how we react to it.

If we react to it in a negative way, then no matter how much the Lord bless us, the fruits are always bad. But if we react to it in a positive way, then even in the darkest days of our life, the fruits will be sweet. It’s a lifestyle that we have to choose. And Paul reminds us to choose our lifestyle. Do you want to have all those good things listed on verse 22-23? They come from your decision, not dropped from Heaven. So, choose well, and wear the fruits of the spirit as your lifestyle!