Grow Instead of Groan

 

GROW INSTEAD OF GROAN

             Watching a television commercial, I learned a better way to clean strawberries. I had always held the berry in my left hand and plucked off the green cap with a knife held in my right hand. But now I place the berry on a cutting board and just slice off the top. It’s faster and saves me from repeatedly cutting into my thumb.

             We need to be open to new ways of thinking. For instance, we may think of the fruit of the spirit in the same way we think of spiritual gifts—something “poured into us” from God. But fruit grows over a period of time. Take strawberries, for instance. Young plants must be spaced to allow room for “runners.” The ground must be fertilized and watered. The plants must be protected by mulch and even sprayed with water on frosty nights. Growing strawberries takes hard work.

             Growing the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control—also takes hard work. (Galatians 5:22-23 NIV).

             Take love, for instance. I’ve always been fascinated by cultures where parents choose spouses for their children. I’ve read that such marriages are quite successful, but how can that be? The young people haven’t “fallen in love.” But they evidently develop love as they act loving toward one another. Rather than following the desires of their sinful natures (Galatians 5:17), they love God and want to please God. And that “grows” the fruit of love.

 Joy develops as we choose to live on the sunny side of the street. We stop complaining and start looking for the good in situations. Yes, maybe that co-worker is cranky. Perhaps if I buy her a cup of coffee, I can chat with her, get to know her and better understand her. That will certainly give me joy. In the book of Philippians Paul referenced “joy” 16 times—and he grew that fruit of joy while chained in prison.

 Peace grows as I develop a deeper trust in God. And that trust develops only through trials that rattle me. So I need a strategy. For me, I read from GRACELACED, a book that never fails to settle my restless spirit. The readings and art remind me that God is in control, He is with me and He is for me. Those readings water the fruit of peace.

 Then there’s patience. Some translations use the word “long-suffering.” How would we even develop patience if we were not forced to wait in long checkout lines? My sister was once kept waiting for hours by her ophthalmologist. When the nurse stuck her head in the door and asked if she was all right, my sister said, “I’m cold and I’m hungry and I’m getting cranky.” They brought her a sandwich. She expressed herself without malice and received kindness in return. We work on developing patience, because God has been patient with us.

 You become a kinder person by showing kindness to others. Whether it’s paying for the car behind you at a fast food restaurant or taking strawberries you’ve picked to a neighbor, kindness nourishes more kindness. Invite someone to dinner, and they may invite you back. And if they don’t, that’s even better. You then develop unconditional kindness.

 Goodness means doing good to others as opportunity arises: Visit the sick. Send cards. Help a neighbor clean up a tree branch. Goodness springs from a heart that loves God and others.

 Faithfulness simply means being committed to God and to others. How about gentleness? “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near” (Philippians 4:5 NIV). If we could just visualize Jesus standing near, would we use that tone of voice? Would we grumble and grouch at our spouses? I’m sure we’d be more gracious. It takes resolve, but we can train ourselves not to let that mean-spirited comment pop out of our mouths.

 And finally, there’s self-control. To me self-control is the fruit basket that contains the other fruits. Don’t love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and gentleness all demand self control?

 Like I found a new way to de-cap strawberries, change your thinking about the fruit of the Spirit. Next time you’re tempted to skip church, grow faithfulness. Next time you’re irritated, grow gentleness. Next time you’re forced to stand in a line, grow patience. And before you know it you’ll have fruit enough to give away.