Goodness

          Goodness is intrinsic and essential to good works. From God’s perspective, doing good things is not His definition of “good works”. In order to have “good works”, the foundational element of our character must be “goodness”… ”good” being born of God, because the Lord our God is the sole possessor of “good” in the universe… He is the standard of goodness. From God’s perspective, without His goodness in us, our “good works” are considered “dead works.”

Pretty radical thing to say huh? i’d say it sorta blows the whole idea of “i’m a good person” out of the water. i believe the world has redefined the idea of “goodness” to mean, “that which is morally right according to me, having the qualities required to play a certain role, a benefit or advantage to someone or something.” In my opinion, the world has lowered the standard of “goodness” to something achievable and born from its own effort.

Ultimately, all things will come to rest at the feet of Jesus… His judgment of things is where the buck stops, so to speak…..if that is true, and it is, then the idea of “goodness” must be according to His standards. His goodness is incomprehensible to the finite mind, and our best ideas of God’s goodness are not enough to adequately describe this detail about the Lord.

If we are the people of God, this particular fruit of the Spirit is central and elemental to our character. If the Lord is the true standard of what is “good”, then it is impossible to be a “good person” without the Lord living in your heart. Sometimes i think people declare themselves to be a “good person” more as a way of reassuring themselves they’re not really as bad as they probably are.

Goodness is a standard for believers. It’s more than stuff you do or things you think, as with all the fruits of the Spirit, it is the way we are, it is one of our character traits infused into not only all we do, and say, but how we conduct ourselves.

i do love my wife, so very much. i know her…i know her details, her little habits, the way she thinks of things and problem solves; i know how she typically sees the world around her and maybe can reasonably predict many of her actions. i have even learned her few annoying little idiosyncrasies….all of which make up the person i know as my wife. If you love someone, it seems to me, we should know their details – their favorite color, how they will come to their conclusions, what their standards are, how they tilt their head or curl their mouth to laugh, how they flip their hair, which shoe they tie first, their preferences in clothes and food, what makes them sad, what inspires them, and what makes them cry. When you say you love someone, those are a few of the things you would know about them.

We, who are believers, say we love Jesus, and we tell people we are looking for Him to return to take us home, but i don’t think we know Him like we say we do… too many don’t seem to know His details much, and if we love Him like we say we do, how come we seem to know so little about Him? He is not hidden like we often think. If anyone is hiding it us from Him, we were hiding in the beginning and we’re still hiding today, so much so, that our hiding impairs our vision. When we are hiding, not only does it make us hard for others to see, but it also makes it hard for us to see others.

We love talking about the value of knowing scripture, the importance of prayer, and being able to quote verse and address… and we love to quote His promises and judgments…don’t get me wrong, those are very important and necessary things… but what are God’s details? Do you know His details and How do you relate to God?

One of God’s details is His goodness…. it is one of His many infinite attributes…His goodness literally saturates His whole being. …it’s sort of always in the background of everything that we know about God. The more we know about the Lord, His details, and His Word…. the more we are going to understand what is truly good and what is not. We get to know “goodness” by being involved with the personification of “goodness”… Jesus… and the better we know Him and His details, the more of a sharpened gold standard of goodness we can live by.

Seeing as how God is good, all the time…what is good anyway? What do we mean when we talk about something being good, or decide something is better than something else? How do we decide what is good?

Think about it….there are many things we decide are good, and i have to add that most people think things are good as long as they get what they want.

Do we think people become addicted to drugs because they love being addicted? It’s not because they enjoy living under a bridge or going hungry, nor is it because they love the lifestyle, the poverty, or the ensuing depression. i believe it’s because, to them, the high feels “good”, though temporary, it is “a good feeling.” And the longer the addict uses, the more elusive the “good feeling” becomes.

In the idea of making money, doing business, or working a job, some business owners have an attitude of “If it works….do it.” It doesn’t matter whether it is legal, ethical, or morally right… they figure if nobody catches them and they can make a profit, it was a good idea… it makes them feel good and they are making money. They would say, “Business is good.”

In another way, there are many things that have been proven to be good for us that don’t seem good. Eating a healthy diet and exercising is good for us, but many of us have a difficult time doing it for long. Some medicine is good for us, and sometimes necessary, but it often tastes so bad we convince ourselves it’s not a good thing. Not many people take medicine because it tastes so good.

i don’t believe we, in and of ourselves, can define goodness… Why?… because we are inclined to explain our notion of goodness, based on what seems good to us. Our idea of goodness is so very self-centered and as a result, we must turn to a standard higher than ourselves for a definition.

All that to say… that our idea of what is good is so very subjective. We praise Him and say “God is good” when our prayers are answered, and when they aren’t answered like we think they should, we often lay awake at night questioning God’s goodness. Is He still good if He does not answer right away? When He heals us of a dire illness, we decide He is good…and if He doesn’t, we cry out with the question, “If God is so good, how could He let this happen to me?” We are a fickle bunch, i think.

Knowing what goodness is, from God’s perspective, is like getting to know the wind… it’s always there, moving things, and changing things, always in the background. For us to understand goodness we must know God and His details. This may seem odd to say but think about it: Goodness is both hidden and revealed, it is seen in the idea of “the greater includes the lesser” like a mother carries a child in her womb. Goodness has a way of bringing potential things into becoming a reality. AND…

God’s Goodness drives providence. i believe the Lord’s goodness is ultimately seen in His providence… so… i asked myself after making that brainy statement… self… what is providence? Honestly, it sounded really smart, but i had no answer… eventually, over the course of 4 years, i’m finally able to say the Lord did give me ideas.

Here it is: i believe God’s providence is His unfailing and continual instruction, His unfailing leadership, and precision navigation compelled by loyalty, love, and mercy…accomplishing His good pleasure through the power of His sovereign will. Kinda long, but that’s what i’ve got. His plan… is goodness in perfection because God is perfectly good… all the time and to infinity, and infinity means no left right, up down, front, or back. He is infinitely good past infinity. Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” His goodness is unwavering and unsullied by shadows, secrets, or indecision, nor can it be judged by our experience, for truthfully, our lives are not a very stable thing. First, we’re up, then we’re down…. like a wheel, and we go round and round with it.

Charles Spurgeon said that God’s goodness and providence is like the axle of a wheel. While the wheel’s outer edge is exalted and then made low, round and round, the axle is always the same and is always central to the rest of the wheel. No matter how far we run, or how fast we go, we cannot outdistance the goodness of God, it is at the center of all the wheel does.

Do you get it? So many times, we look at only what happened today, or even in a particular moment… today… our vision, being so short-sighted all the time, only seeing “in the moment”… and when His goodness is not in our face evident, from that we draw a large, generalized conclusion, “God’s goodness is not here. Afterall, look at how this situation turned out.”… all because we aren’t seeing it. It’s so very self-centered and subjective to think that because “I” don’t see His goodness, it must not be here…..then we cry “Boo-Hoo, God must not love me anymore.” We really MUST grow up church.

One reason God gave man the concept of “remembrance” was so we could look back at life in general and see the entirety of things, rather than looking at each little situation, one by one. Looking at life over a time span, you will see His persistent goodness… we’ll see that God is wise, and just, and He is goodness personified. Yet, here we are fretting about our troubles.

Remembering our days in the past we will see God’s heart instead of moaning around with our mouths full of “woe is me”… we will bless God for his mercies towards us, and how God’s goodness has saturated our lives. Indeed, God is good, all the time, and all the time, God is good.

Why do you think it’s a good idea to believe God is good, and that His goodness lives in us through Christ, as a constant? There are many facets to this, but the first one that comes to mind is:

if, God forbid, He were NOT good… He would still be God… but fortunately for everybody, He IS good, and His goodness IS the standard by which we live. If we want to know goodness we must know God, and there is no way to understand what true goodness is without knowing God.

Often, we simply can’t grasp the picture of our existence in a wide enough view to see God’s goodness in our lives… for many of us, our “vision” simply isn’t wide enough. i say, let us ask the Lord to increase our “depth of field”, it is about the width of view at a certain distance, and is used to describe the optics in binoculars concerning the quality of the instrument. Lord increase our “depth of field” to see Your everlasting goodness upon the earth, Amen.

As previously stated, for many, it seems goodness is just hard to see from where we are standing. Many years ago when i was in the service, i went to a small Persian rug factory in Italy. i’d always been fascinated by the intricate patterns and incredible artistry involved, and in that little business, i’d heard they made some of the world’s most beautiful rugs, all hand dyed, hand-knotted, 100% wool… very expensive. As i walked through the area where all the work was going on, it was just so quiet… everyone was very focused. In a hushed tone, i asked the guide why all these rugs were so unattractive and just confused-looking? He looked at me for a moment, then chuckled saying, “Oh, you’re looking at the wrong side.”

Isn’t that how goodness looks to us many times? It’s so easy to become circumstantial when trouble is at the door.

When we’re looking for the goodness in God’s plan while we’re in the middle of a terrible storm, it’s just hard to see. Maybe it’s none of our business other than to simply have faith in God and trust that He is good and that His goodness is in us.

By the blood of Jesus and through faith, goodness is imparted to us….it is there, intrinsic to our character because Jesus is alive in us. Everywhere we go, everything we touch, everywhere we set our feet, the oil of anointing of God’s goodness leaves its mark. In every kind word and every good deed, His goodness is infused in it and passed on to the world around us.

Once i had a dream where i awoke in the middle of the night and walked into the kitchen. There, on the table in the middle of the room were glowing bottles of olive oil, sort of illuminated by the moonlight that was coming in the window. One bottle was a little more than half full and the other looked to be more exactly half full. For some reason, i thought to condense the two bottles into one. i poured one into the other but was left with about a third left over. In the dream, i wondered to myself what i was going to do with the extra… i shrugged my shoulder nonchalantly and decided to drink it, so i did just that. When i drank the remaining oil, instantly, i faintly glowed as the olive oil glowed and when i walked out of the kitchen, as i looked back, in my footsteps was a fine oil footprint on the floor which also faintly glowed. Where i had been in the kitchen, i could see the faint glow of oil on everything i had touched with my hands and every place i had stepped. It was the goodness of God, the oil of anointing, no…… more….it was an “unction”, the thick paste of anointing. That is how God’s goodness is in us and that is a visualization of how goodness, as a fruit of the Spirit looks from a spiritual perspective as we go forward into the world with the gospel of Jesus in our hearts.

While grappling for understanding on my part about “goodness” as a fruit of the Spirit, i’ve realized there are things of the Lord in which God Himself IS the explanation and definition. The only way to communicate some of His attributes is by metaphor and figures of speech, using phrases like, “It is like…”, “similar to….”, or comparing one thing to another.

Goodness subdues and coerces… subduing by way of God being so good to us we can’t help but love Him, and coercive in that when God’s goodness is poured out, even on the unbelieving, they are driven to their knees in honor of the King. Proverbs 25:21-22, “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; For so you will heap coals of fire on his head, And the LORD will reward you.” God’s goodness is never still, like the wind… day and night it is always moving. When the sun shines it is moving up and down the hills, across oceans and deserts… goodness is never still. The moon shines and the stars light up, and still, it moves on. Even in darkness, when our eyes see nothing, goodness is still moving like the ocean waves; it is like when we are asleep, the forests and fields are still growing, we may not notice but His goodness is always marching on.

Romans 12:3, “…Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.”

Another aspect of goodness is that man cannot control it. The goodness of God which lives in us will always find a way to leak out of our cracks. i have long thought that God only uses cracked and broken things. In Luke 7 when a woman brought an expensive alabaster flask full of very expensive anointing oil, she broke the flask and poured the oil on Jesus. The oil ran out of the cracks and broken places all over everything, and isn’t God’s goodness like that?… it just runs out of all our broken and cracked places everywhere we go…even when we aren’t thinking about it.

Of course, it helps if we just let the Spirit flow and try not to control the proceedings… even at that, His goodness has a way of coming out of us…Jesus has a way of turning things into redeeming situations because He is good, and the Holy Spirit is always working towards our good.

Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

God’s goodness will never be restrained, not chained, nor managed by man….. it does what the Lord says and follows His will, like the wind or the sea, it cannot be directed by man, and is exclusively controlled by God. Man cannot alter it, and cannot change it; goodness goes before and after us like a cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night. Psalm 23:6, “Surely goodness and mercy are with me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.”

Isn’t it beautiful that we get to possess this fruit of the Spirit? Goodness….it is the fruit of your character and life, evidence that we are the righteousness of God in Christ. Think about it.

In light of the goodness of God, i can’t see why some folks practice, what i call, a “comfortless gospel”… today they believe God loves them and tomorrow He hates them… a child of the King one day, reduced to a child of the devil the next. You’re in, you’re out, you’re up, you’re down… how does that work? For me, i could never believe a gospel like that, there is no hope or peace in it. But in the goodness and providence of God there is the stability of faith, and the strength of hope, for the Lord will, in no wise, cast off His people whom He has chosen. i would not want to walk like the world, void of His goodness… to live like that would be like living in such hopelessness, that all the people, in the end, would get the same worthless prize… and i don’t know about you, but i’d like more than that. The Lord has it, and i want what He’s got… Jesus, my beautiful and glorious Jesus.

i heard a man say he believed every particle of dust that danced in the sunlight doesn’t move an atom any more or less than God wishes. It is His goodness which makes even the dust dance in the morning light, provoked by the breeze, gently moving, always moving everywhere.

God is so good, He even provides many of His blessings to those who are not His children… His goodness transcends the worlds badness and is greater than all of the negative things that we see going on around us. The truth is, there are a lot of bad things that happen in the world, and those unfortunate things cause some people to question the goodness of God or even the very existence of God. Personally, i think it’s just silly for anyone to say, “Oh no, God doesn’t let bad things happen.” His knowing is NOT His ordaining…just because He knew something was going to happen doesn’t mean He made it happen. Think about it.

i believe every droplet of water has its orbit as well as the sun in the heavens, and that the dust from the broom of a janitor has a path just like the stars have their course. i believe the aphid’s footsteps over a fruit tree bud are as destined as the rain is not random but precise where it falls. If we believe in God, we must believe in His goodness also… there is no standing point between that and unbelief. If you do you do, and if you don’t, you don’t.

His goodness is the axle and we are the wheel, with the axle being central to all that happens with the wheel, whether or not the wheel understands or appreciates the axle… that is a picture of God’s goodness.

Be strong and courageous, take your time and breath… life is good, more than you know. Amen!

Gentleness

             i heard a story of a corporal at Valley Forge who was directing three men as they tried to lift a log into place. It was too heavy, but the corporal commanded again and again, “All right, men, one, two, three, lift!” A man in an overcoat came by and said to the corporal, ‘Why don’t you help them?” The corporal pulled himself up to full height, straightened his uniform in a curt fashion, and replied, “Sir, I am a corporal.” Without a word, the man stepped over, and with his help, the log went easily into place. The man was George Washington. He wasn’t too important to help, and his lack of a snide comment was an exercise in gentleness and self-control. Gentleness includes true humility that does not consider itself too good or too exalted for humble tasks and is never self-important but considerate, courteous, and modest, yet willing to try when a job needs to be done. Gentleness is defined as restraint coupled with strength and courage.

         How important is “gentleness” or “meekness”? As previously stated, God calls it one of the fruits of being righteous. Got fruit? Is it what you would like to believe it is or is it the real deal?

i often find that the translators of the Bible used a single English word to portray something which has a much larger implication in Hebrew and Greek…. in the case of Galatians 5:23, the translators used single words like “gentleness” or “meekness”, but the larger picture is “to have the attitude of a little lamb”…not, as many interpret “gentleness” as groveling, slavish, or pandering. What the Lord means is far from that. Gentleness is so very not cowardice or weakness, by any means, according to God’s values.

Ecclesiastes 8:1, “There’s nothing better than being wise, knowing how to interpret the meaning of life. Wisdom puts light in the eyes, And gives gentleness to words and manners.”

It is more about humility and kindness permeating all that we do and say…when “gentleness” is used as a verb it expresses how Jesus humbled himself by submitting to the oppressions of the ungodly. Isaiah 53:7, “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers are dumb, so He did not open his mouth.”

Keep your seat, lend me your ears, and let the vision play in your head as we explore one of the Fruits of the Spirit: Gentleness.

Gentleness and humility … humility being the driving motivation behind gentleness…. they are two important words representing character attributes, typically, only obtained thru the school of affliction. i believe, one of the outcomes of affliction…IS humility. None of us, wholeheartedly, go there, but, you know, there are some things which are only gotten by going through difficult trials, not that we would ever wish trials on anyone, BUT….more often than not, it is the only way to get God’s character worked in us. Those who go with God and endure the “educational institution of unhappy situations” have their sharp edges rounded off by circumstances, with the character of Jesus slowly being revealed in them like gold sticking out of the ground. Gentleness is a grace all believers possess, or at least, it is the Lord’s intention that the fruit of the Spirit is evident in us. If Jesus has it, we can have it also…gentleness is…mildness of disposition, a natural inclination to kindness above violence and doesn’t spring out of, nor rest upon a sense of worthlessness. Ever. A gentle heart is not a victim’s heart.

2 Corinthians 10:1, “Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—who, in presence, am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you.”

i believe the words of the Bible not only represent God’s heart but that it says what the Lord meant for it to say in the order He meant for it to be. We should pay attention to not only the words the Lord uses, but the order….nothing in scripture is unintentional…..therefore i’m looking at how 2 Cor 10:1 is worded. In this case, Paul included the words meekness and lowly in conjunction with gentleness. These three words support each other and easily go together…they help to show that gentleness requires humility, and humility is accompanied by meekness….in contrast, with pride and feelings of superiority come rough reactions, stubbornness, and know-it-all answers. Honestly, among church people, i am weary of rough reactions, stubbornness, and know-it-all answers. i’ve come to expect it from the world, but from my own people? C’mon church, we can do this!

It is written, “Yet when they were ill, I grieved for them. I denied myself by fasting for them…” We need to also extend our gentleness, not just towards other believers who appear to deserve some “privileged compassion”, but even more so towards those who scoff and scorn. In Psalms 35, the Psalmist used this concept to emphasize the extent of his concern and consideration, even for his enemy,

Gentleness, as a fruit of the Spirit, is not just for us….. as with ALL of the Lord’s attributes, it is an extension to the world as a testimony of His love and the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins.

Gentleness isn’t just an external attribute like a washed face, instead, it is, what i call, an “inner worked grace of the soul”, born from the inside out, which we first and primarily practice towards God. And yes, i mean “to the Lord first”, He should be our first and last thought and action in our lives, every day.

James 1:21, “Therefore lay aside all criminality, immorality, wrongness, and abundance of vice and depravity, and receive with meekness, gentleness, and humility the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.”

That is a profound scripture. It means …. not ignoring our wrongness of character, nor being distracted from it, pretending it isn’t there, but by accepting with a receptive heart Christ who is able to save us all together.

Most think of this beautiful attribute as, God in His kindness, mercy, and gentleness, extended to us, but gentleness also represents how we do what we do, not just what we do. In James 1:21, James, who is widely thought to be James the half-brother of Jesus, used the word “receive”, which means the fruit is born in us by God…He did the work……He gives, and we receive… He has planted Himself in us and we accept His word for our saving grace, meekness, gentleness, and humility. Again, not just what our faith and works are but how we exercise our faith and perform our works. We can easily establish that meekness and humility are associated with…. gentleness, the attitude and frame of mind with which we accept the Lord’s plans and implementations as a good thing, without arguing, fighting, or resisting.

­­­­­­­­Ephesians 4:2, “with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love”… we need to know that the humble heart is also the gentle heart….it does not fight against God, neither do they struggle and contend with Him. He is gentle with us, and we, in return are gentle with Him.

Our gentleness and meekness, as the fruit of righteousness, is to be displayed toward others….it is how we are, even to evil people who insult and grieve us. i realize it is hard when we are vilified and wrongly accused, but what if, somehow, we were of such character we were not offended, instead seeing the trial as an opportunity to be more Christ-like? Jesus gave no defense because He held no offense. We who are gentle know ourselves as the lowest of the low, and also highly favored as children of the most high God, like Jesus, with the character of a young lamb.

In John 18:22, Jesus endured with humility, the indignity of being unjustly struck, yet He endured, what is called, “the contradiction of sinners”, meaning the unredeemed don’t want to die but yet they also refuse to yield themselves to God. Jesus had learned to gently endure the afflictions and provocations with which others gouged at Him….yet He did not withdraw himself from the burdens which their sin imposed upon him. He meekly, humbly, and gently endured the sins of the world.

Sometimes the battle is won or lost not so much on the strength of the mighty, but on endurance. Titus 3:1-2, “Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.”

Simply being nice is NOT being gentle. Being “nice” is a very subjective term. If someone doesn’t give us what we want, often we say they aren’t being nice, but if we get what we want, we say that person is nice. Being “gentle” has a deeper foundation than just its own qualities….in fact, in my observation, gentleness can’t exist without meekness and humility. It is not possible to be arrogant and unyielding…. passing out “i know” type of answers, and still be gentle, meek, and humble…..it is contradictory.

…. there is that word again, “humble”. Humility is closely connected with gentleness, so i would think we also need to consider how God views humility. i believe He sees humility as essential for every believer, after all, scripture says humility does come before honor. James 4:6, “But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble”.

The Lord resists arrogance and haughtiness, including our justifications for not being gentle to those who have offended us, been harsh to us, or who we don’t feel deserve gentleness. 1 Peter 5:6-7, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

My friends, if we won’t humble ourselves before the Lord, He will humble us for us, so let us all just go ahead and get low. We all want to exhibit the fruits of the Spirit, but humility is foundational to them all. We can’t have Godly self-control without humility; we can’t have Godly gentleness without humility; nor peace, strength, or love…humility is essential, right from the start. As i said, let all of us just stop fooling around and go ahead and get low.

The Lord is interested in us showing the same gentleness that Jesus showed to the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11). Instead of aiming our finger at the offender and self-righteously casting the first stone, quoting them the Law…..we are to follow Jesus, gently, and firmly saying to go and sin no more. God is overwhelmingly gentle with us when we sin or need correction, and He expects us to be the same way with others.

In Acts 17, starting in vs 16, Paul was in Athens and observed that the city seemed to be entirely taken over by idols. Interestingly, Paul didn’t rail on them, nor was he threatening and provoking. Can you imagine how that would sound? Do you think he’d get a positive response of repentance from the people?

Imagine him standing on a box in the middle of their gathering place, the wind blowing his hair back, robes sweeping, fire in his eyes, body arched forward in an accusing posture, aiming his bony finger at them and yelling, “You bunch of low down sinners! You have immeasurably sinned, you and your false, lying, ugly little gods! You are so ignorant about anything religious! What do you know?! You don’t know anything! Let me tell you something….fall down right now and pray, no BEG God for mercy that you evil sinners, monsters of iniquity may not be struck down and burned to a crisp right where you stand like the devils you are!”

Does that sound like a gentle reply to you? Would anyone you know be interested in screaming such words at people? Unfortunately, maybe. What do you think the probability of a positive response would have been? Let me say it again, God is overwhelmingly gentle with us when we sin and need correction, and He expects us to be the same way with others.

Proverbs 15:1, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

Colossians 3:12, “Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” He…chose … you, and this is a list of what we should wear as His people, representing His heart to the world.

Acts 17 is a wonderful example of how clever and appealing gentleness can be. When Paul began his message to the Athenians, God gave him wisdom and, i believe, he must have taken into account the background and situation of the people with their many gods. He obviously noted how they were very religious, and then proceeded to comment on one altar he had seen with the inscription “TO THE UNKNOWN GOD”. In vs 23, he tells them, “Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you”.

Rather than being a hammer to the people, Paul, diplomatically and kindly spoke the gospel to them…it was a gentle way of encouraging people away from the worship of dozens of false gods to their death and toward worshipping the true God to life. Even though some mocked…he endured their provocations, others asked to hear more, and some even joined and believed.

The lifestyle of gentleness we are being called to in Gal 5:23 is….. a pattern of grace only found in Christ Jesus, Yeshua, the Lord, Messiah, and God. The phrase “pattern of grace” is going to be repetitively used here for a while.

Why should we be diligent to become gentle in all our dealings? Because hate breeds hate, malice breeds malice, drama breeds drama, kindness breeds kindness, and gentleness breeds gentleness. We may have to be firm, if not straight out drawing lines and exacting solid boundaries diligently, but we can do it while being gentle. Gentleness is a heart posture, it’s the way we are and how we do life. It is a pattern of grace that is God’s template and only He can develop it in us. To clarify, the fruit of righteousness called, “gentleness” is not an attribute we act out, it is the way we are….. it is not just inward, but dominantly upward.

i think it is important for us also to consider the gentleness of God towards us so that we understand how we are supposed to act toward our neighbor.

The Lord is gentle towards our imperfect righteousness. Additionally, the Lord refuses to exact well-deserved penalties. In Psalm 85:5, the Psalmist asks, “Will You be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger to all generations?” The Lord answers that question in Isaiah 54:9, “For this is like the waters of Noah to Me; For as I have sworn that the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth, So have I sworn That I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke you.”

The Lord keeps in mind what we are made of and measuresHis dealings with us by love and grace, expecting us to return that same love, grace, and gentleness to others, not just to those who agree with us or support us, which would be what i call, “privileged compassion”. Peter is a great example. Peter’s attitude was far from ideal, after all, he was, in my opinion, a rough fisherman who was used to working in semi-solitude…his social skills weren’t very polished. i guess we could say he often appeared to others as coarse and maybe even unpleasant. Even so, Peter had a heart that was tender towards God. Not only was the Lord gentle with Peter, but expected Peter to extend the same pattern of grace to others. Luke 22:32, “But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”

The highly forgiven servant in the parable of Matt 18:23-35….having known the gentleness and compassion of the master, was expected to return the same to his fellow servants. But, as we read to the end of the parable, we see that the exterior of the servant spoke one thing, but his heart was another….his lack of gentleness came back to bite him.

The Lord gave us His Son to free us from sin and death, to have life and have it more abundantly. That life was never meant for us to just lay in the sun and soak up all that goodness for ourselves…..it was given with the intent that, as He practices His goodness upon us, we should practice it to others. Think about it.

i was in a conversation a while back concerning the gifts and fruits of the Spirit and someone made a profound statement, so i wrote it down. She said, “Being filled with the Spirit is as much about character as is any use of Spiritual gifts. The Holy Spirit fruit is supposed to be apparent and visible in our lives every bit as much as His gifts are to be shown through us. It’s silly and lopsided to give attention to the gifts of the Spirit without giving attention to the fruit of the Spirit.” That quote may not seem relevant now, but in a few weeks, it will be more apparent as to why i’m throwing that in here.

1 Timothy 6:11, “But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.”

Philippians 4:5, “Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.”

Abraham Lincoln said, “When the conduct of men is designed to be influenced, persuasion…kind unassuming persuasion, should always be adopted. It is an old and true proverb that a drop of honey catches more flies than a gallon of gall.’ So it is with men. If you would win a man to your cause, first convince him that you are his sincere friend. Therein is a drop of honey that catches his heart, which, say what he will, is the great highroad to his reason, and which, once gained, you will find but little trouble in convincing him of the justice of your cause, if indeed that cause is really a good one.”

Do you favor someone talking to you calmly and gently, or…. when they yell at you or speak aggressively to you? People respond better to gentle words.

Do you like it when someone shakes your hand gently and firmly or…. as tight as they can squeeze, being contentious and threatening? People react better to gentleness in touch.

Do you prefer when someone is helping you with a problem that they patiently work with you, trying to understand your difficulties, or that they insult you by putting you down and speaking roughly to you? People prefer gentle assistance.

Would you rather be around someone who is gentle or someone who is not?

If you are in leadership, you are called to feed, nurture, comfort, correct, and protect, and we should do these things with profound gentleness. The virtuous leader comforts their people, binds up wounds, and applies the balm of compassion and love. We need compassionate and gentle servant-leaders who will bear people’s burdens with them, empathize with their circumstances, exhibit patience, and encourage them.

Gentleness is a fruit of righteousness, it is the nature of a lamb. It’s not so much what we do, but how we act and who we are, not an inward thing, but an upward thing….it is God’s pattern of grace alive in us facing a conflicted and contradictory world.

Be strong and courageous, drive carefully, and be at peace and we’ll talk again. Amen.

Self-Control

          Oh my gosh! In this country do we even have any self-control, which literally means that our thinking is on a level path? One group thinks the other is on a downhill skid, the second group is absolutely sure they are on level ground and that the first group is totally off the wall. Neither seems to be willing to take into consideration they, themselves, could be off balance, out of bounds, or even twisted in their thinking, heels dug in, eyes shut tight, fingers in their ears while loudly saying, “La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la” so as to drown out all council but their own voice. i don’t know about you, but when i’m busy talking, it’s very difficult to hear anyone else, even God.

Lord, open our hearts and our understanding that we might get on board with Your idea of the Fruit of the Spirit: self-control.

The news, media service, and especially advertising largely drives public passions: have it your way, get what you want, or build it like you like with seemingly no thought as to the end result of unbridled passions and self-centered living. Today’s main stream world seems to be so inviting to people to just “let go and lose control” under the guise of “being free”. But it seems to me in order to “be free”, at least from the world’s perspective, i just need to do “whatever i want to do”, “when i want”, and “how i want”. i think we should question that logic. Although the worlds idea of freedom is called “being free”, is it actually freedom? If i’m being harmful and neglectful of the welfare of others, there are always some who believe that’s ok because it’s all under the banner of “self-expression”. For many, they’re good with whatever happens as long as it doesn’t happen to them.

Odd how those same people think another person’s “reckless abandon”, or “self-expression” is OK until it burns their house down and then it’s suddenly a bad thing.

How important is “self-control”? God calls it one of the fruits of being righteous. Think of all the terrible things that would happen if, not only did we have no self-control, but we did not allow God to teach us self-control, with us being left to ourselves and our own thinking to do everything, “our way!”

i’m Social Porter and this is Outposts.

Many years ago, i used to have words from the Lord, visions, and dreams, i was diligent to write down things people had said or written which resonated with me…..i must have gotten discouraged with all the notebooks of things i had collected which God had given me and started not writing His words and vision down, preferring instead distractions when it was during the day, or favoring sleep if at night. Somewhere along the line i noticed the words, dreams, and visions weren’t happening too often anymore, so i asked the Lord, “Why?” By and by He replied saying He had noticed i wasn’t writing them down anymore and it seemed i must not be too interested.

Anyway, all that to preface this: i read somewhere that to gain “self-control” we can’t just ignore or renounce something to gain mastery. Ignoring bad behavior doesn’t make it anything other than ignored bad behavior, and declaring we’ll never do such and such again is a good start, maybe, but neither do things change simply because we declare it so. Sure, we can turn our eyes and attention to other things, but to allow ourselves to be diverted so we don’t notice our problem doesn’t mean we are actually exercising self-control. The best thing is to turn our eyes to the source of true change and real power that is outside ourselves. The key to self-control is not inward, but upward. “Self-control” begins with Jesus as a spiritual thing.

Proverbs 1:1-3, “These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel. Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise. Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair.”

The word “discipline” there is the English transliteration of the Hebrew idea of “self-control”. The O.T. uses that Hebrew word 50 times, and the English translators called it reproof, chastisement, or instruction. But in the sense of self-control, it is seen as discipline, correction, or personal restraint. In the New Testament, the word often used is “sober”, “moderate”, “temperance”, and even “discreet”, meaning to be of sound mind, self-controlled and sane. Ahhhh, there it is, from the Hebrew letters it means to be sane, “thinking on level ground”, or, “self-control”. The picture is one of fenced in passions and purposeful restraint.

The Hebrew word for “self-control” reveals God’s intent that we use it as one of our methods to enter into the “rising light of God” which will “wash over us like a wave”, empowering us to be even more disciplined; the implication of the word means we are to explore our real motivations in order to stand in the revealed truth of the Lord, knowing the Lord is our support to lean upon in order to conquer the passions of our flesh, and so much, if not all the battle for self-control is in our head. In the middle of the Hebrew word is a letter which, in this case, is considered “the belly of the word”, meaning in the belly of a man are the passions which need to be in subjection.

One method to bring those passions into subjection is honesty, understanding why we do what we do, getting God’s instruction and correction which is called education, something we, as a nation, so desperately need, not education in the ways of the world and men, but of the Lord and His values. The Lord IS our method for our feet to be on a level path, or exercising self-control. i remember struggling so often to not be so constantly disappointed, i would set impossibly high goals, too high for myself much less anyone else. Then when i failed to reach the goal, i was so disappointed in myself that anger would overwhelm me. Emotionally, i was like a steel ball just bouncing around in a box, slamming side to side, round and round, day after day, living life with such little self-control. For some reason, Romans 8:1 never occurred to me. “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.”

In my perpetual disappointment, i was angry at everything, and rather than think things through, i just went round and round in life, acting and reacting in a horrible loop. i was so very not on a level path, and i had done it to myself.

And you? Is your thinking on a level path or is it driven by hot atmosphere, high emotion, and the erratic teaching of the world?

           In Genesis 39, Joseph exercised incredible self-control, discipline, and loyalty to God in order for him to endure his trials. In light of vs4, it says Joseph was a servant, had found favor, and was even made an overseer with all authority given to him. We discover in vs 6 Joseph was also handsome in his appearance. For a single guy who was smart, wise, had favor, and was goooood looking, i imagine the girls really had an interest in him. Ssadly, so did his boss’ wife. She, straight out, said, “let’s you and me have sex.” He put to use his discipline and self-control by refusing her advances with a very plain but diplomatic answer.

Genesis 39:8-9, he told her, “With me in charge, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?”

As the story goes on, the masters’ wife is hitting on him nearly everyday. At one point she got aggressive and even grabbed him by his clothes trying to force him to do what she wanted, but Joseph had a greater vision of how things would be because, i believe, he played the rest of the movie and saw how things would turn out. With full commitment to NOT participate with her, in vs 12, scripture says he ran away. He RAN AWAY, literally ripping himself away from her with such determination he left his shirt in her hands.

Friends, this kind of self-discipline, or self-control stood him in good standing and reputation in the years that followed. Serving the Lord was more important than serving himself. But let’s play the whole movie here. Had Joseph taken up the other man’s wife on her offer, for the moment all things would have been wonderfully delicious, but one way or another, and here’s a sticky statement: secrets have a way of coming to the surface, they have a way of not staying secret, and in the end, nothing would have gone well for him. Again, secrets have a way of not remaining secrets. Yes, it’s true, she was very vindictive, she lied and got Joseph in a ton of trouble, but in the end, the Lord honored Joseph and lifted him up above his previous station.

Let’s toss in the mix another example of self-control, one of the fruits of the Spirit. In 1 Samuel 26 David is being hard pressed by Saul. At one-point David suggests they sneak down into Saul’s camp, so he and Joab’s brother take off. There, they are able to sneak up on Saul as he slept, and rather than kill him, David practiced the discipline and self-control to not kill the sleeping king. Instead they took only Saul’s spear and a jar of water so that Saul would KNOW David could have killed him but he didn’t. David saw the value of his restraint. It may seem to the reader that David, quite possibly could solve all his problems by pinning Saul to the ground with one stroke of the spear, but David also knew better than to assault God’s anointed one.

Both Joseph and David were motived by spiritual principals. Serving the Lord was more important than serving themselves, and not only did they believe self-control was spiritual, but they lived it out.

1 Corinthians 9:25-27, “All athletes practice self-control in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. I run with purpose in every step and i’m not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.”

           A really good paraphrase of Proverbs 5:22-23 is, “An evil man is held captive by his own wounded conscience and gives power to his flesh over his spirit; they are ropes that catch and hold him. He will die for lack of self-control; he will be lost because of his thick headed foolishness.”

How many alcoholics and drug addicts do we hear about, who, due to their addiction, have very little self-control and eventually die? How many people do you know who are addicted to drama? Their lives are constantly filled with drama and hang out with other people who are also addicted to drama, so much so, that when we are around them we just want to run away. Addicts self-medicate, it’s a way of avoiding personal pain. Whether it’s drugs, alcohol, sex, drama, feelings, or even an addiction to “explaining ourselves” because of the constant feelings of being misunderstood, or whatever our addiction is, the lack of self-control drives us further from the very relationships we so desperately wish we had.

In an attempt at some sort of control in an out of control life, i believe many do almost everything they can to silence their conscience, which is a built in

God-mechanism given to help us navigate life. Sort of like a compass when it comes to maintaining some self-control and doing the right thing. But when that “compass” gets muddled, and there is no clear sound or vision, we try driving it to silence because we have, given power to our flesh over our spirit. Our flesh “wants” and we just give whatever it asks. If our conscience nags us, we self-medicate in one fashion or another until our internal compass is noiselessness. We can be silent to others, and can possibly silence our state of mind, but we cannot so easily silence our conscience. i’d say it’s a pretty fair assumption on my part that the only conscience which is silent is a reprobate conscience.  Without a conscience, conviction has no foothold, and condemnation has full run of the field!

Not being responsible for our actions, not utilizing self-control inspires a diminishing conscience and a lack of sensitivity to God’s conviction, eventually ending in a “crisis” of faith. Paul speaks many times about the value of owning a good conscience for a good reason.

David Mathis wrote that, “True self-control is a gift from above, produced in and through us by the Holy Spirit. Until we own that self-control is received from the Lord rather than whipped up from within, pulling ourselves up by our own boot straps so to speak, the effort we give to control our own selves will come back only as self-glorification, rather than God’s. But we also need to note that self-control is not a gift we receive passively, but actively, we must be involved with the Lord, diligently pursuing the Fruit of the Spirit. We are not the source, but we are very personally involved. We open the God’s gift and live it. Receiving the grace of self-control means eventually, we must go out into the actual exercise of grace.”

And to quote one more, Ed Welch wrote, “As the Hebrews were promised the land, but had to take it by force, one town at a time, so we are promised the gift of self-control, yet we also must take it by force.”  In other words, to gain the fruit of self-control we must participate with God in actively pursuing restraint and discipline.”

2 Peter 1:6-7, “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; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.” One-way i read this is that if you gain knowledge from the Lord, that knowledge will help you gain the fruit of “self-control”, and you know, the Lord doesn’t tell us stuff just we can know stuff, nor does He give us gifts so we can keep them a secret and not share. Ephesians 5 says one of our goals is to build up the body of Christ.

As believers, i consider that self-control is not about bringing the belly of our passions under our own control, but under the control of Christ by the power of his Spirit. Because self-control is a fruit which is produced in and through us by God’s Spirit, Christians can and should be the most hopeful people on the planet about growing in self-control. We are, after all, brothers of the most self-controlled person in the history of the universe, Jesus.

Proverbs 25:28, “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls”. A man who cannot control, discipline or restrain himself is very vulnerable, like a city whose walls have been broken down. Under our own steam, in our own attempts to have control, we lose control.

Bringing our passions under our own control may seem like a good idea, and it certainly isn’t a bad one, but by ourselves alone, i don’t believe there are any who have the strength to effectively, with long lasting results, bring themselves into subjection to their own authority. Authority is no better than the weight behind it and if we are our own weight or authority, then i believe we are doomed. The idea of bringing my passions, which i can’t control, under my own authority is thinking in circles, it is monotoned and “thin thinking”. The truth is, no one is smart enough to actually run their own life. Just not. For starters, too many of us have boundary problems, meaning the passions we felt we had under control yesterday, we may not want to control tomorrow, which is what i call “a momentary truth”, meaning what is true today probably will not be tomorrow.

For many, the lack of self-control is very destructive, and if it’s not immediately and obviously destroying us, over time our destructive behaviors literally wear us down. God’s plan is for us to prosper, not to be slaves to our passions.

In recovery houses around the country, people who still wrestle with their addictions, typically aren’t allowed to live there. Why? Because human beings tend to spiral downwards to total lack of self-control, not spiral up, and when someone who is not determined to practice self-control lives in the house, that out-of-control person is inclined to persuade the entire house, simply due to their life’s motivation, thereby putting the whole house at risk.

1Corinthians 9:24-27, (my paraphrase) “Do you not realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? If we all must run, then run to win! All athletes exercise self-control in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just swinging in the dark here. I discipline my body and keep it under control, training it to do what it should.”

Everybody serves somebody or something. Oh yes we do. One way or another we are bound to Christ, for life, or bound to ourselves and this world to death. Choose today whom you will serve. In Romans 6, Paul wrote, “Do you not know that to whom you put yourselves at the disposal of as slaves resulting in obedience, as slaves you will be to whom you render habitual obedience. We can either be slaves of the sinful nature resulting in death, or obedient slaves resulting in righteousness?”

Will we be slaves or will we be free?

In 2 Corinthians 10:5, scripture says “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

If we don’t practice self-control with our passions, then our passions will practice control on us, or, if we don’t take those thoughts captive, and that is ALL the thoughts not just the ones we don’t like or approve of, then they will take us captive. Either way, somebody is going down in chains as a captive.

Primarily, “the love of Christ controls us”, and when we get our arms around the truth that He is our Savior and ruling authority, in Christ we have the power and strength to walk a level path. In the person of Jesus, “the grace of God” has appeared, training us” — not just “to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions,” but “to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.”

Titus 2:11-12, “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…”

i will be the first to admit, disciplining my passions and practicing self-control is no fun in the here and now, possibly even painful. How well i know the struggle to not eat just one more donut, understanding full well that the sugar is not my friend and my stomach may bother me. Yet, oh, how i want it; but if i resist, that discipline will yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by grace. i think to myself occasionally, what a shame i had to get this much older only to discover that not eating yet another donut was a good idea. Therefore, strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight, level paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. When we allow the power of Christ to help us practice self-control, suddenly we are where we are going, and we find our feet on level ground. Think about it.

           Galatians5:22-23, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control; against such things there is no law.”

Gaining knowledge and understanding concerning self-control and then actually doing it, to me, is one of the hardest things in life, !BUT!, it is a fundamental necessity for a life well lived.

All of His life, Jesus was without sin. 1 Peter 2:22 says “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.” He stuck with the purpose and plan even when He was in agony and sweat came like drops of blood. In the middle of His trial the Son of God had the wherewithal and self-control to not refute the false charges or defend himself. He didn’t neeeeed a defense because He held no offense. When accused and vilified, He did not abuse and malign anyone in return. Matthew 26:67 says “They spit in his face and beat him; some slapped him with their open hands.” Then, they scourged him. In every trial and temptation, “Jesus learned obedience through what he suffered”, and at the pinnacle of his self-control he was “obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Stand up church! Get to your feet.

i’m Social Porter and this has been Outposts.

Self-control is one of the Fruits of the Spirit, therefore, if we are believers it is also one of our attributes, enough so that others can see that part of our character. We can do this church. The Lord has given it to us to follow in His footsteps with success. Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, and by Him, we are of sound mind, self-controlled and sane….thinking and walking on level ground.”

Be strong and courageous this week, be mindful of the needs of others. Enjoy your evenings, we’ll meet again on the trail of the lonesome pine. Amen.

Peace

i find the Lord often uses contrasts to teach us about Himself, and how to conduct ourselves worthy of our calling in Christ. Frequently the best way to understand God’s perspective about Shalom peace is to also investigate the striking opposite which is the world’s version of peace … which ends in chaos, turmoil, and strife.

         Lately, i’ve been thinking about the disparity between indifference and peace, which oftentimes look the same if we don’t do a closer inspection … Frequently the gap between peace and indifference is just a blur, but other times the difference is in perfect focus and you somehow “know” when you see real peace. Ahh, real peace…everyone wants it, but doesn’t know how to get it.

Nevertheless, not everyone sees the sharp line between real peace and the blur of indifference, often seeing only the blur. i believe much of the church doesn’t seem to want to discuss these issues, and i’m not making light of that, but these questions and their answers are vital ones. How many times do we judge, of ourselves, that we have peace based on outward facts but inwardly something is wrong? … truthfully, facts have no feelings, they just are, and there is a distinct difference between facts and the truth. Real peace isn’t based on worldly facts but on Christ who is the truth.

Peace, real shalom peace is only gotten one place in the universe. Many search for fulfillment, happiness, and contentment in material possessions, money, sex, entertainment, etc. But those things do nothing to fill “the hole in our soul” which only GOD can fill; those things only serve to distract and prevent us from finding true peace…the shalom that can only come from Him who created and put all things into place. Peace is from the fountain of the heart of The One, Jesus.

Recently, we’ve been discussing God’s details and how when you love someone you know their details and what they’re about. This evening’s production is about one of the Lord’s details, the Fruit of the Spirit: peace, as mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23.

We often use the word peace, sprinkling it around as if we’re sprinkling salt on food, so in a way, it has been used to both greet people or say goodbye, but it means much more than simply “be well”, “hello”, or “goodbye”. It’s more than feeling good or a lack of violence.

i don’t want to write, yet another article about peace … they are, after all it seems, dime-a-dozen. i don’t know about you, but i want to know what the Lord means when He says the things He says. i recognize, to a limited degree, what i think, but above what i think, what God thinks is vastly more important. i want to look between the words and see the white letters surrounding the words to see the long halls of wisdom in God’s library. Ecclesiastes 7:12, “For wisdom is a defense as money is a defense, But the excellence of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to those who have it.”

Jeremiah 30:5, “GOD’s Message: ” ‘Cries of panic are being heard. The peace has been shattered.”

Peace … everybody wants it, they’re all looking for it, wishing for it, dreaming of it. Many have been so long without it, it just seems like a faint thing in a dream from long, long ago. We have all been at war so long, we’ve never known anything other than war. War in our spirits, war in our minds, war in our bodies, war outside and inside. We so long for peace, but i think maybe true peace, as God intends it, is something most of us can’t relate to. What would it be like if there was no more war? Can’t imagine it maybe? Yea, me either. War is all i’ve ever known and honestly, i don’t know how NOT to be at war. Either i’m arguing with someone in my head, or i’m in a conflict in the physical world about something. To not be at war would mean … to have peace beyond our understanding, and it’s not just the volume of chaos and war around and in us turned down. The peace Jesus was speaking of means, no more war in ourselves, and i can’t hardly related to that. i’ve experienced that peace a few times, and it was exclusively God for it to happen. Only Jesus can give us perfect peace and take the war out of our lives. Some think that if the government would be at peace then everything would be a-ok, others believe that if everyone would quit eating meat, give up heating with petroleum, or save the whales, maybe the world would be well on its way to peace.

Jeremiah 6:14, “They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly, Saying, ‘Peace, peace!‘ When there is no peace.”

Worse still, the world, as a whole, has been getting incrementally less peaceful every year, and it’s not just nations with an army … there are some nations that don’t engage in any military actions and appear peaceful … but their inner turmoil is off the charts. Oh sure, they post really beautiful tranquil pictures, but underneath the tourist pictures comprising a false face, people are starving, warring, and being lonely to death every day.

The peace of the world is extremely dependent on feelings, people seem to need to see it to believe it, and they always want to manage it. The peace of the world doesn’t allow for trouble … and it, ultimately, fails every time, and it never fails to fail. The world’s peace deceives people into thinking that life is manageable. Since death entered the picture at the fall of man in the garden, the world we live in is a hostile environment. We may live in manicured neighborhoods, but under the influence of sin and death, the ill will of this world towards the Lord and righteousness is still, subtly there. The world offers no lasting peace but in it’s place it is merely the turned-down-volume of war, and if there is any semblance of peace offered, it is at a price that eventually requires more than anyone can pay.

The contrast is that God’s peace, shalom peace, is dependent on Jesus alone and trust, doesn’t need to be seen to be believed, makes room for trouble, trusts God to manage everything, and always endures. John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Notice that Jesus “gives” peace, meaning it’s not something we can go out and get … it is a gift of God, and “giving” is part of God’s tradition.

Peace, as the world knows it, seems to be when all things around us are quiet … we feel outward safety, or there is a momentary lull as turmoil and chaos seem to not be camped out in our living room … for now. Many feel peace is when they have what they want … but even when we get what we think we want … worldly peace is still a fading thing. Peace, as the world knows it, is fleeting, here and gone again, elusive, like a lump of gold, hard to get and hard to hold.

i think many alcoholics and drug addicts continue being addicts to escape the pain of the chaos and strife in their life … they inebriate themselves into a stupor where there is false calm, fake safety, and fictitious peace … peace born in a lie is no peace at all. It seems to be like saying to ourselves, “If i don’t notice the badness in my life, it’s not really there,” that is until that same badness grabs us by our lapels and demands our attention … oops! There goes the peace!

Not talking to your spouse or not dealing with your problems just to “keep the peace” is no peace either … it is just an exercise in pain, the game of who can careless, the most, the longest. Not addressing our lack of peace is only a band-aid. Psalm 119:165, “Great peace have those who love Your law, And nothing causes them to be offended.” Here are some sticky words, God-peace does not hold an offense.

If your life, inside and out, if we were at peace with God and the world around us, what would that look like? If war is all we’ve known, then war is all we can imagine. Can you picture no war? Can you even imagine such an amazingly, wonderful thing? Can you envision how you would look to yourself in the mirror … with the at-rest look in your eyes … Imagine, even though the world around you is exploding, yet, you are at peace in your heart and mind … How does that look to you?

Shalom peace doesn’t mean violence is absent.

God’s idea of “vision” is to possess one mind with one purpose, and di-vision is to be split into disunity. Do you get it? 1 Samuel 17 opens with a vision of two armies poised to go to war, the Philistines on one mountain, and across the valley, Israel on the other mountain. 1 Samuel 17:4, “And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was nine feet, nine inches tall.” This guy was huge…. he was a loud-mouthed, arrogant giant of Gath with too many fingers, too many toes, and really bad teeth.

i believe most everyone would agree with me, the champion from Gath was a terrifying person to behold…there was just something insane and violent about him, and i think we can safely assume the giant probably loved fighting and blood and had a really bad temper… i also believe he was used to getting his way, no matter what. So, do you know where a 400Lb gorilla sits? That’s right, anywhere he wants to, and don’t you know Goliath probably invoked the 400Lb gorilla rule all the time. In vs 45 David declared, “I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.” A man without God’s peace would have easily been defeated by simply observing the giant who wore what seemed to be impenetrable armor, a massive helmet, and carried terrible weapons. i’m sure to Israel, Goliath looked like their idea of “insurmountable odds”.1 Samuel 17:24, says, “And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid.”

David had none of the weapons or armor Goliath had. He was small and Goliath was huge; Goliath had a violent and terrible reputation, and David had a reputation of herding sheep … BUT … David had something Goliath did not. David had God’s peace, shalom peace, and would not be moved from his trust in God. Even though the battle was set in a wide array, from mountain to mountain … from David’s platform of peace, the entire battle was drawn into a well-defined, sharp focus.

Hear this: When we live with God’s peace in our hearts, it draws all things into their correct perspective, flattens out chaos, and dispels fear. God’s peace gives us confidence, it breeds trust and faith in the Lord. God’s peace renews our vision, sharpens our focus, and will see us through all our trials. That’s why God included it in the list of fruits of the Spirit.

When Saul scoffed and said, “You’re just a kid! And you’re gonna go fight a giant? HA! Surely you jest!” David told King Saul straight out in 1 Samuel 17:36, “Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.” Twice David defined the champion of Gath as one who defies the Living God, so it wasn’t just a physical battle, it was spiritual too.

Now i’d like us to see something here. i believe David possessed God’s supernatural peace … he was focused and clear-thinking. David walked out on that battlefield like a boss … no armor, no helmet, just a sling and 5 stones, one to kill the giant, and 4 for a backup … he went out there like he OWNED all the land where he set his feet. He was confident and had the razor-sharp focus that comes with shalom peace … there was no blur of indecision or shadow of turning. Even though David was surrounded by warriors and war, and threats of every imaginable violent scenario from all sides, in his heart of hearts he was in perfect peace … God-peace.

Here it is again, so listen: Shalom peace brings all things into alignment, and draws everything into its proper God context; it sets the correct horizon and focal point and is the only vanishing point based on God’s Che’sed, which is never vanishing … peace is part of God’s mercy and grace beyond the vanishing point. God’s peace is defined as God Himself, He is the pivot and pinion, and peace is part of the Fountain of His heart on which we hang our lives in confidence and assurance, never failing and always in shalom peace by the blood of Jesus. The fruit of the Spirit: peace, sets us apart from the world … light years apart.

Got shalom peace?

Before David appeared on the scene that day, the rest of Israel, although they wore armor on the outside, were naked and afraid on the inside, and because they were naked and afraid on the inside, they were not at peace … all they could see was the terrible war around them and the possibility that they were going to die, violently. War was all they saw, war was all they had ever known, and to imagine anything other than conflict and war was truly beyond them.

2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and a sound mind.” Of all the people on that battlefield that day, it appears David was the ONLY one who walked with a sound mind.

Peace… God’s peace, is one of the elements of the platform on which we plant our feet and live our lives… it is one of the ways we know we are in the fellowship of the saints.

Everybody wants it, but in the world today it would appear not many have it.

Is 26:3, “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because their trust is fixed on You.”

A key word there is “fixed”, and being “fixed” on the peace of God comes through trust in Him, it means rooted and grounded, firmly persuaded of interest, and that nothing can separate us from it; “fixed” on the covenant and promises of God, which are unwavering and sure; “fixed” on the faithfulness and power of God to make us righteous.

“Steadfast” is the other key word – meaning to be established and stand up straight … as in “Steadfast” on Christ the Son of God and Savior of men; “steadfast” upon Jesus … as in laying the whole stress of our salvation on him; “steadfast” and “unmoveable” concerning His righteousness for our justification; anchored on His blood and sacrifice for atonement, pardon, and cleansing; “steadfast and settled on his fullness for the supply of our wants, and on His power for our protection and preservation. That all describes how it looks to live in God’s peace, Shalom peace. Doesn’t that sound attractive to you? It does to me… and my having experienced peace as the world gives, well… it simply isn’t enough.

i believe i understood the peace of this world was insufficient before i knew Jesus, but i didn’t know then like i know now just how insufficient worldly peace was. Now that i know Jesus, i can say without a shadow of a doubt, His peace passes all my wildest dreams and far beyond the heart of my own understanding. Why wouldn’t someone want something like that and be willing to leave the world behind to have it? It is bewildering to me the people in church who do not understand the difference between worldly peace and God-peace.

In fact, having met quite a few people who often seem to respond with something like white noise as to what they believe and why … i often wonder why they even go to church. How do they survive without God’s peace? Psalm 62:8, “O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge.”

For me, i can’t live without His peace, i really and truly can’t make it, and i have sincerely tried. While amid some very terrible situations, His peace was all that held me in place.

And you? Do you hold the elusive peace of the world which is like a vapor, only taunting your heart but never leaving you satisfied? Or is your heart established, and held upright by shalom peace? Philippians 4:7, “… and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Real peace, lasting peace, satisfying peace ONLY comes through Christ … there is indeed only one way, and that is through Jesus.

According to God, peace is directly connected to very vital things which we all want, worldwide, believers or not.

God’s idea of peace, shalom peace, has “Ha’Shem – The Name” built into it. Looking at the root Hebrew word for peace…Shin, is the first letter, and, among other attributes, it represents Yeshua and the names of God. i believe if we want to thrive and prosper spiritually, we must emulate the attributes of the Lord. 1 Cor 11:1, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.”, and, Ephesians 4:15, “God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love—like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do.”

Also, the first letter is a picture of two opponents standing on each side, and Christ the divine mediator standing between them, the peacemaker of harmony and peace.

The second letter, lamed is about learning and teaching, in that we can’t teach others about peace unless we, ourselves, have first learned about peace … and if we are going to learn about peace then we must learn about Jesus, the sole possessor of real peace in the universe. Matthew 11:29, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Lamed is in the belly of the word denoting direction, goal, and purpose, three key elements of hope. Purpose inspires hope, hope inspires faith, and as we learn of Jesus and emulate His ways, we come to greater peace from glory to glory … as Jesus has it, not as the world gives. In the Lord’s gift of shalom peace, the more we “hold our peace”, as in possessing it as a precious stone, the more we gain a heart that understands wisdom. The more we are at peace, the more we are at peace.

The last letter in the root word is final mem, which speaks of an underground stream and completeness. Colossians 2:10, “and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.” According to Isaiah 26:3, those who trust in God will be kept in perfect peace, peace which will run in us like a deep underground river that finds its way into all we do. Our God-peace is hidden in our hearts and revealed in our character and actions. Even the world knows when it is in the presence of divine peace, and they marvel.

Our God-peace glorifies the Kingdom of the Almighty. Psalm 145:13, “Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.” Letting our peace flow to others is like the constant outpouring of His open hand of blessing, along with His merciful closed hand which holds back judgment. Our shalom peace seeps into all the open places and corners of our lives, running down our chins and onto the floor, oozing under the doors and makes wet the hem of our garments… it influences the world around us. All the more reason for us to find the darkest places around and then go be there, letting our light shine in being consistent and repeatable, kind and longsuffering, for the sake of the gospel. Think about it.

John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

When the Lord uses certain words together it implies they connect … like the words “wind” and “water”, “love” and “joy”, “grace” and “peace”, etc, etc. i believe these connected words are intentional.

The peace of God is integral to so many important elements of real life. He connected truth and peace in Zech8:19, and life and peace in Mal2:5. In Psalm 85:10, the psalmist writes that righteousness and peace have kissed, they have embraced and go together. Long life is connected at the hip to peace in Prov 3:2, with glory, honor, and peace going together in Rom2:10.

In 2Corinthians 13:11, 2Thessolonians 1:2, and 1Timothy 1:2 love, grace, and mercy, are all linked to peace … peace being the common denominator between them all. Friends, God is revealed in our well-practiced Shalom peace which gives us the power to break the grip of our wildest fears, to still the upheaval of our heart, or to hush broken-hearted sadness – it invites mercy to forgive sin, and life to overcome the fear of death.

Peace, not as the world gives, but as Jesus gives … it is peace which is real, sincere, and never hypocritical. It’s as if Jesus is saying, “I said it, I meant it, and this is no kidding around.” What Jesus offers us to not only have but to live and walk in every day, is beyond the beyond and stretches into eternity … and He’s giving it to us. He’s not just talking a good line, or wishing it were so. Peace is the fountain of the One, The Name, Yeshua, Jesus our Savior.

Be strong and courageous, drive carefully. Pray for your neighbor and think about what you spend your time thinking about. How do you spend most of your time on what thoughts? Shalom my friends and i’ll talk to you next time. Amen.

Longsuffering

           And there i sat, day after day … the sun came up and the sun went down … the seasons came and went … days went by …  waiting to hear from the Lord. Three years and not a word, not even a whisper in the tree tops … oh yea, there were dreams of destiny from time to time but they were dim and fleeting. Do you think God tests you so He’ll know what you’re made of, or, so you’ll know what you’re made of? Do you think the Lord took you to the desert to die just for the sport of watching the light slowly go out of your eyes? Nope. It is my hope we know Him better than that. Is it really being abandoned, isolated and alone, or is it time alone with God to build faith for our future destiny? Remember …  while we are in difficult circumstances and we’re practicing our longsuffering, Jesus did say, “Always with you” and “Never forsake you.” Ever.           Longsuffering.

It most certainly, never, never, never is the Lord to leave you with no promise and no support. Ever. And He ALWAYS keeps His promises. Always.

Abram believed God, and became Abraham, God’s covenant partner. The Lord had Himself a man who would believe for the impossible.

One of Abraham’s first impossible situations was that the Lord was going to bring His only Son through the line of Abraham … but then, Abraham needed a son, and he didn’t have one.

In this case, God waited until the situation was impossible before moving, not being the God of the final hour but the God of “right on time”. God promised to make Abraham the “father of many nations,” yet Abraham didn’t even have a son …  not a one …  let alone enough to make a tribe, much less many nations.

Abraham’s situation looked so impossible, he couldn’t see how God was going to do it. It says in Genesis 17:17, “Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”” The word there for “laughed” isn’t meant as a gentle chuckle, it means literally that they “giggled and chuckled incredulously”. The Lord’s promise seemed so outrageous to them it was laughable. Yet time went by and God did the impossible. Sarah did in fact conceive, and brought forth Isaac, the son of promise.

God waited. It probably seemed like forever from the time God made that promise, until He brought forth the son of that promise. The Lord is longsuffering, and it’s one of our fruits of the Spirit. He is always working behind the scenes on our behalf, and just because we don’t see His working doesn’t mean it isn’t there.

Longsuffering – patiently enduring while diligently clinging to the promise that God will do what He said He would do, and when He does, it will be a testimony to all who see. In the meantime, we develop an understanding of the Lord, coming to a better perception of what is in our hearts along with knowing God’s details. Longsuffering.

i believe Abraham understood that his God was the God of the impossible. Even when he went to offer Isaac as a burnt offering, he was expecting God to do something miraculous. Even though the Bible is silent about this, i’ve wondered, what did Abraham expect God to do? On a side note, when the Bible is silent about things, we can speculate for sure, but the fact still remains that we can’t build sound doctrine from a platform of silence.  In the meantime of waiting for God to accomplish His word to us, we must hold the line and not faint, believing the Lord will do all that He has said and more.

Maybe Abraham expected God to raise Isaac from the dead, i don’t know … but whatever he expected, we do know Abraham said he and Isaac would both be coming back as noted from Genesis 22:5.

Abraham knew his God was more than able to take care of any impossible situation. Isaac was the son of promise, and no matter what, God would make His promise come to pass.

What impossible situation are you facing today? i’m sure some of us have waited for, what feels like a ridiculous amount of time. Are you determined though, to follow the Lord regardless of how things turn out? Remember, God is still solving impossibilities for us, just like he did for Abraham.

A dear friend of mine said he and his wife were in a terrible fix, although, by the skin of their teeth their needs were being met with nothing to spare, all in all, they didn’t feel like the Lord was anywhere to be found. He felt exhausted and his wife was near to fainting. He said they’d been desperately praying for months and months, that they had diligently fasted, fervently repented, declared good things, rebuked unseen bad things, claimed promises, and that his hope and faith were worn down to dried out bones. Yet there he sat and nothing had changed. One day i called him and he said for months he’d been begging the Lord to come and save him, then in a most pitiful voice he said, “I feel like a little boy at the orphanage waiting for his father to come pick him up, and day after day, no one shows up and there is just the sound of wind, empty halls, and rain against the window panes.” i wept.

From where i was sitting, even in all of his terrible circumstance, at the core of his person was a little light of hope that kept rekindling itself somehow, like a flame bound to a coal and it just refused to go out. He kept holding on to the Lord knowing that man, himself, can fix nothing and really only God could help. Often, we all have nobly said that we “know” only God can fix things, but yet, often, we are a nervous wreck and can’t sleep because what we say we know and what we r-e-a-l-l-y know are two different things. Mind you, my friend didn’t do anything wrong. He’s not a crook, or a liar, he’s not a manipulator or a transgressor … he’s not greedy and stupid … and i’m saying that for any listeners who would feel the need to go down the list of sins as to why unfortunate things happen to good people. Some would easily throw out a “one scripture fixes all” statement, but that doesn’t help. “One and done” isn’t a good answer.

i’ll tell you what i see, and i hope my friend is reading. i see a man and woman who are longsuffering and holding on to Jesus, knotting their hands in the hem of His garment for all their worth, determined to go with the Lord; i see two people who keep waiting on the Lord because they truly believe Jesus will come and lift their hearts, and He will; i see two people who are kind and gentle, smart and intuitive who love honesty and truth; i see the fruit of the spirit in them and it’s how i know they are in the fellowship of the saints. i know they don’t feel much like that considering where they are right now, and i understand that when we get in a terrible spot and see no way out, life seems impossible. But,  it doesn’t matter, in the moment, how we got there but more that God knows exactly where we are and He will come and rescue us.

Friends, you who are in desperate places, i admire your patient endurance and your determination to not be moved, your longsuffering, for it’s not a test so God will know what you’re made of, but so you will know what you’re made of for the purpose of going where people are the most desperate and giving them hope.

Longsuffering is that quality of self-restraint in the face of offense and personal challenge which does not hastily retaliate or run swiftly to chastisement; it is the opposite of anger, and is associated with mercy, and is used of God,

Exodus 34:6, “And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth,”

i believe the Lord wants to develop the grace of longsuffering in our lives. i must say i’m not, by any means, thrilled at learning this grace, nor am i enthusiastic about, metaphorically, being at the bottom of the ocean in order to learn to trust God for my breath … but …  IF God really does know best, IF He really is who we are following, then learning longsuffering isn’t about enduring a situation, but more about clinging to Jesus. The Fruits of the Spirit are more than a thing to do but someone to be. If it’s just a “thing to do” it just diminishes the vastness of God and reduces us to rule keepers. The heart of the Lord is that we’d be changed.

Getting wisdom and grace are often acquired through trials and difficulties, typically through situations rife with unfortunate circumstances and not something we would wish on anyone, but truly, it is wisdom and grace possessed in no other way except to “go through” deep water with the Lord. Often, we find ourselves in great distress because we have heard from the Lord and then WE re-decide His directions, and then we re-decide our re-decision when the path is too steep to continue. It’s like the Lord asks us to climb a mountain. We sing our best worship songs and strike out on the upward trail. Hours later, when we’re hot, tired, and thirsty … we’ve stopped singing and are out of breath. Then half way up the mountain, we re-decide everything and invent a word from the Lord saying, “Things aren’t well with me, i believe the Lord wants me to go back down.” Longsuffering says we stay the course and rely on God to do what only God can do. i realize that is easy to say, but once again, when deep water is coming over the side, the wind is howling, and ocean spray is stinging our skin, it’s not so easy to be the heroic figure standing tall and strong as we may have imagined … unless … in our times with the Lord we have learned longsuffering. We truly love the idea of being a hero, but the reality is, staying the course, being determined to stand strong, and finishing the race actually is the stuff of heroes.

Through the trials which we have walked, fixed firm in our hearts that the Lord is with us, He will never leave us, and that we will follow after Jesus no matter what the storms do or how limited our understanding and vision are. Longsuffering says that we’ve learned to restrain our inclination to knee-jerk reactions and doesn’t abandon our mission without careful consideration of the circumstances and confirmation from the Lord.

 Colossians 1:11, “… strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy;”

In the Old Testament, many times patience can be used where the translators used longsuffering, the intent of the word changes, some, based on the words before and after it’s usage. But in the New Testament, especially Colossians 1:11 and 2 Timothy 3:10, patience and longsuffering are used in the same sentence, revealing to us that there is a difference.

Patience is a hyper persistence to abide in Christ while waiting on God, and longsuffering is long passion with fierce determination to not be moved. Now that’s a really important definition to hear, so i’m going to say it again: Patience is a hyper persistence to abide in Christ while waiting on God, and longsuffering is long passion (to breath hard after) with fierce determination to not be moved. As with kindness and compassion, which are both masculine nouns, here we have another righteous noun pair, longsuffering and patience, which are feminine nouns … they are like two sisters who go together. If we find longsuffering acting in our hearts, we can rest assured patience is very nearby.

There are quite a few pairs which the Lord has put together and don’t act independently of each other. To name a few, hope and purpose, kindness and compassion, and longsuffering and patience.

If Hope comes to visit, make two beds in your spare room because her sister purpose is staying also.

If you set a place at the table for kindness, set two, because his brother, compassion, expects to join the party too … from God’s perspective you can’t have one without the other because, for example, kindness without compassion is called deceit.

If we set sail with longsuffering, patience insists on being at the helm also. Patience says i will abide in Christ while we wait, and longsuffering says i refuse to budge from my place of forbearance while patience does her work.

i figure since God is longsuffering, it makes perfect sense to me that if the Spirit of God dwells within us then He will begin to demonstrate or manifest His characteristics within us as a fruit of the Spirit. Some church folks think when the Lord inhabits their heart, somehow their journey will be blue skies, gentle breezes, moonbeams and merry-go-rounds, and that’s simply not so. i don’t believe the idea of longsuffering and patience is in our nature unless it’s to get something we want, in fact, i’m pretty sure that mankind, left to their own thinking, is nothing but a downward spiral and we exclusively need Jesus to find the updraft necessary to fly beyond the gravitational pull of this world. In our society we tend to split things out into their own little categories. It is a method used to measure how well we’re doing, it makes a calculatable outcome easier to predict with a measurable probability of success. God sees the fruits of the Spirit quite differently though.

2 Timothy 3:10, “But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, and perseverance”.

Paul doesn’t just equate purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, and perseverance as separate things, but as a lifestyle and doctrine that define us. Again, fruits of the Spirit aren’t merely a thing to do, but someone to be. Longsuffering, along with the other fruits of the Spirit, are more than just beliefs we hold. Literally they are principles of governing policy. Longsuffering and patience are part of what governs our appetites. Be honest about what is really in your heart: Who or what governs your appetites, and do you know what, how, and why you allow those things or that person to define you? 

Romans 2:4, “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?”

Is longsuffering essential? i believe, Yes.

Longsuffering and patience are among the things which are indispensable. They are principle among first things. Necessary because Christ has forgiven us, therefore we must be longsuffering and willing to forgive each other.

Colossians 3:12-13, “So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: kindness, compassion, humility, longsuffering, bearing with each other, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as God forgave you.”

Longsuffering is necessary for maintaining the unity of the body of Christ in order that we would walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, Ephesians 4:2-3, “ … with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

Without longsuffering, the transgressions we commit against one another will quickly destroy the very unity for which Christ died. If we watch the congregation more than we look at Jesus, anyone could easily find enough offense to lose their footing. It is easy to find fault with other believers, but it is God in us to be longsuffering and patient.

Longsuffering and patience are supremely necessary for those who would be in leadership. In the days of the Roman Empire, soldiers were often not paid in currency, but with salt, thus the phrase “worth your salt” is more easily understandable. So, as a leader who is worth their salt, we must have longsuffering and patience with people. Those in leadership will often find themselves first to start because they’re leading the way, and last to finish because they’ve stayed behind to ensure everyone got across to safety. i marvel at how often the very sheep you help are the very first to bite, and we must be longsuffering and patient with our people. And yes, sheep bites hurt. No servant of the Lord can faithfully correct those in opposition, without the character quality of longsuffering and patience.

2 Timothy 2:24-25, “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all, apt to teach, patient, in humility instructing those that oppose themselves…”

One time, foolishly, i put a tablespoon of fresh Oregano in my mouth … it was so overwhelming i quickly spit it out and immediately tried to wash the taste out. It was horrible. Well, like many seasonings, i don’t think anyone would want to put them directly in their mouth, even so, they are needed to bring out the best flavor of everything else they come in contact with. So too, no one i know enjoys the bitter taste of affliction or trial yet they are necessary if we are to enjoy the righteous fragrance that longsuffering and patience rewards us with.

A man was walking through the grocery store with a screaming baby in the shopping cart. A woman nearby noticed that time and again the man would calmly say: “Keep calm, James. Keep calm, James.” Finally, in admiration for the man’s longsuffering and patience as the child continued to wail, the woman walked up to him and said: “Sir, I really admire you for your patience with baby James,” to which the man replied, drawing himself up to full height: “Madam, I am James!”

i believe longsuffering and patience are like the ballast in the bottom of a ship, they keep us from going belly up when the wind is howling and a stormy trial is at hand. When you’re running against the wind, and the darkness is closing in, your trust in the Lord, and willingness to be longsuffering and patient will always bring you to a safe haven.

If we don’t learn anything in our afflictions, it’s just stupid … there is no point in useless suffering … people who don’t learn anything in their afflictions seem to only have old age and dying to look forward to, and honestly, we shouldn’t worry about getting old, it doesn’t last long. Galatians 3:4, “did you go through this whole painful learning process for nothing?” If we’ve thought our terrible situations are all for nothing, we are wrong … we are always changed when the Lord walks with us through our afflictions.

Longsuffering and patience don’t happen overnight, nor is it without cost, but God has a purpose in developing them in us. James 1:2-4, “Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.”

Be strong and courageous, let God do His work developing the fruit of the Spirit: longsuffering and patience in you. You will be more at peace and so will everyone around you.

“May the LORD bless you and keep you, make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you.” Amen.