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- A Study in Character
If you have not read Tools for the End Times Part 1, I would suggest reading that first.
Now these are the kinds of character traits, aka fruits we need to serve God and to survive tough times, especially the end times.
The Fruits of the Spirit
Galatians 5:22-23 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
So, let’s break these down and see what each of them are, and try to determine if we have them.
The 1st fruit or characteristic is LOVE, which for our discussion we’re referring to (agape) or charity. This type of love, loves no matter the circumstance. This love is unselfish and unconditional, it’s the kind of love that God has for us. It is brotherly love, and puts others before itself.
Do we have this kind of love for others, unconditional Love?
The 2nd fruit or characteristic is JOY. Now this one is kind of hard to nail down. Joy can certainly be a happy emotion, a sense of well-being; but it is much more than that. The joy talked about in scripture goes beyond happiness to include a feeling of knowing or expecting something that you know will bring you the feeling of Joy, the expectation of something wonderful. Like Romans 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. Joy is that earnest expectation which brings about the feeling of Joy.
Do we have that Joy or Earnest Expectation in our life?
The 3rd in the list is PEACE. Pease is a state of tranquility or quiet. It’s a state of security or order in your life. It’s freedom from fear. It’s being in harmony with others.
How can someone like the Apostle Paul have Peace in his life with all the trials he went through? I think we can answer that by looking at Philippians 4:7, which says, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
So real Peace, true Peace comes from God and a relationship with Him. This means that even through the storms of life we can have Peace in Jesus Christ.
Do we have Peace in our life?
The 4th fruit or characteristic is PATIENCE. The quality of being patient, as the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain. Now here’s the kicker, we need to do it WITHOUT complaint, loss of temper, irritation, or the like. An ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay, to have Patience with a slow learner, quiet, steady perseverance, even tempered care and diligence.
That’s a tough one for anyone, but it is a characteristic that we need, and God works to help us with. Unfortunately I think most of us just don’t get the lesson, so God has to keep giving us opportunity to learn Patience.
Do we have Patience in our life?
The 5th is KINDNESS. This is the state or quality of being kind. Having a good or benevolent nature or disposition. Having, showing, or proceeding from benevolence or kindness.
Basically it’s being nice to people in all situation. Are you familiar with the term kill them with kindness. There is no better or quicker way to de-escalate a bad situation than to be kind to someone who’s in a bad way. We need to be nice to people, even when we don’t feel like it.
How about you, are you a Kind person?
Number 6 is GOODNESS. Goodness is the quality of state of being good. Having moral excellence or virtue, as well as, kindness and generosity.
Goodness is another one of those characteristics that are hard for us, because we have become a selfish people. Everything around us says look out for number one, get all you can, you deserve it. Well, when we spend so much time trying to be good to ourselves, those who need us to be good to them often suffer.
Where do we rate on the Goodness scale?
Number 7 is FAITHFULNESS. The act of being Faithful is being strict or thorough in the performance of a duty. It’s being true to one’s word, promises or vows. It’s being loyal and firm in the adherence to promises or in observance of duty. Christ says He is faithful to us and calls us to be faithful to Him, as well as, to all others in our life.
How do we rate in our Faithfulness to Christ and others?
Number 8 is GENTLENESS. Gentleness is the quality or state of being gentle, especially in mildness of manners or disposition. Kindly, amiable, not sever, rough or violet. It’s also being peaceful, soothing, and meek. This doesn’t mean weak, and it doesn’t mean being a pushover. A warrior can be gentle when the time is called for without becoming weak or effeminate. That’s how we need to be.
How do we rate in our Gentleness with others?
And last, but not least, is number 9 on the list which is SELF-CONTROL. Without Self-control it would be hard to exhibit any of the above characteristics that are so important. Self-control is the ability to restrain oneself. To gain control over our impulses, emotions, actions or desires. It’s being self-disciplined, having self-restraint, willpower and levelheadedness. This once can be a challenge, but is so important to get a handle on.
So do you and I have the necessary Self-control that we need?
One of my very favorite chapters in the Bible is 1 Corinthians 13, the Love chapter. It is the beginning and the end of true character. Without agape Love, none of the above fruits or characteristics would mean anything in our spiritual life.
If our Joy is not a godly Joy it’s just happiness that even the most evil of people have the ability to feel.
If our Peace is not a godly Peace it’s only brief transient moments of peace that move past us as quickly as the wind. There’s no substance to it so it doesn’t stay with us.
If our Patience is not a godly Patience it’s only being Patience with those we feel like being patient with, it’s selfish and self-serving. It is not a spirit of Patience, but and act we pick and choose to share with whom we please.
If our Kindness is not godly Kindness, again it will be a self-serving act that’s only exhibited when we have something to gain by it.
If our Goodness is not godly Goodness, our goodness will only be shared with those who can or will treat us in kind. It’s not true Kindness, and again is self-serving.
If our Faithfulness is not godly Faithfulness, we will only be faithful to that which brings us profit or advantage. It is not a trust in something or someone greater than us. Again, it is self-serving.
If our Gentleness is not godly Gentleness it is not gentleness at all. It’s a friendliness used to serve one self or to manipulate the reaction we want from others.
If our Self-control is not a godly Self-control, the controlling of ourselves is but a means to an end to protect our-self or get what we want.
As you can see, when we separate these fruits or characteristics from God, they each become selfish and self-serving. When they are combined with God, they become powerful gifts that not only bless us, but bless everyone we come in contact with.
When you break it down, all these things can be wrapped up in the word love. Love is the greatest gift we can give to others, and it is the greatest tool we have in overcoming our enemy.
I know this is kind of long, but please don’t stop here, please read the love chapter below. Read it slowly and drink in every word. Read it as a prayer or praise to God.
1 Corinthians 13:1-13 13 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
In the last of this 3 part post, we will cover more very important characteristics that God is looking for in us, and look at the tools we have at our disposal that will help us in the times ahead.
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