For a couple weeks, I have felt compelled to focus on The Fruit of the Spirit; the scripture verses from the book of Galatians listing the character qualities of Christ. The bible lists these traits to challenge us to live a more Spirit-filled, Christ-like life. I’ve prayed about this (prayer would be another good topic) - the idea just wouldn’t go away. I even ran a couple devotional ideas by my oldest son, Nick, to get his perspective. He chose The Fruit of the Spirit without blinking an eye! So, I don’t know where this is going, but I’m stepping out in faith and writing my first devotional-series.
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23
FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT – PART 1: LOVE….AS DEFINED BY STEVE, AGE 17
By Diane Calcaterra
I don’t think our high school is very different from other schools. We kind of form smaller groups out of the larger student body. We have the popular kids and the loners, the athletes and the chess club members, then the really smart nerds and the not-so-smart students. I’m not saying you can’t be in more than one “group” at a time – that the lines can’t be fuzzy enough to group-hop through high school. But for the most part, we all hang with our main group of friends. So when someone doesn’t fit into ANY group, they stick out like a sore thumb! Kathy is that person at my high school.
Kathy is different. Kathy has a handicap. She is fun and energetic, but sometimes laughs a little too hard at our jokes. She is our biggest fan at all the school sporting events, but often gets carried away with loud and boisterous cheering. She usually wears a big smile on her face, so everyone notices when she is having a bad day. Kathy is different, but that doesn’t keep her from being popular. When you think about it, it’s really cool! The whole school embraces her handicap, overlooks her mental limitations, and welcomes her into ALL their groups! I’m really proud of myself and my classmates for looking past Kathy’s physical appearance to see the warm and loving person within. That’s one way I define love: to reach out to others with kindness, respect, and dignity. Everyone knows Kathy - and to know her is to love her!
FROM THE BIBLE:
"Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other." John 13:34-35
4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance…. 13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, 13
TABLE TALK WITH THE KIDS
1. Do you know someone who has a physical or mental disability?
2. How do you treat them? How do your friends, or classmates, act around them?
3. Love isn’t just physical. From the story above, how does Steve define love?
4. Does Steve’s definition of love match the Memory Verse below? If so, how?
WHAT ABOUT ME? LET’S DIG IN…
There are thousands of books, songs, and websites attempting to capture the essence of love. But more often than not, these sources have us confusing love, an outward Christ-like action, with lust, an inward self-indulgent desire. In First Corinthians 13:4, Paul defines love quite simply: “Love is patient and kind”. Patience is the ability to bring peace and calm to a brewing perfect-storm. Patience provides us with the wisdom to control our emotions instead of letting our emotions control us. Kindness is taking the initiative, being the first one: to compromise, to be gracious and helpful, and to offer forgiveness. Love is a verb. Love is patience and kindness in action, a choice we make (or neglect to make) each day. God intended love to be evidence of the Holy Spirit working in us as we choose to love Him and others - deliberately putting the thoughts and feelings of others before our own selfish desires. I love the comforting words of Paul in verse 7: “Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance”. Love the people in your life - and if necessary, use words!
MEMORY VERSE
Let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions. 1 John 3:18