But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5:22-23a
Yesterday I had my semi-annual checkup with my doctor. After reviewing my lab work and listening to my heart and breathing, my doctor confirmed what I suspected. I’m still alive. If I want to stay that way, I was informed that I needed to lose weight, exercise more and basically do better in taking care of myself. I wish I could say that this is the first time that I’ve heard this. The truth is that I’ve heard it often enough that I could basically recite it while sleeping. So far I’ve been hit or miss at best in responding to the doctor’s orders.
The same is true when it comes to the condition of the soul. There are certain indicators that reveal how healthy the soul is. Sadly, in our modern Christian culture, we often assume that if we attend church on a frequent basis and aren’t committing crimes, then we’re healthy. However, that is not the case. Even people who have been Christians for years and are active in their churches can be found to have diseased souls that are robbing them of spiritual vitality and hindering the advancement of the Kingdom.
So what does reveal the condition of the soul? Paul tells us in Galatians 5 that the fruit of the Spirit is marked by several qualities. These qualities come as we grow in our relationship with Christ. The more that relationship is nurtured, the more the fruit of the Spirit will be evident in the soul revealing its level of health.
So for the next few weeks, we’re going to explore one fruit of the Spirit at a time as a kind of soul checkup. As we do, we may discover that our soul is needing some attention in order to be healthy. That’s when we will be confronted with the same choice that my doctor gave me. We can either keep ignoring our spiritual health, or we can do something about it.
For our sakes and the sake of the Kingdom, let’s agree together that we will do something about it. As for me, it’s Lean Cuisine for lunch.
Looking forward to the series!