In his letter to the Galatians, St. Paul
lists nine “fruits of the spirit” (not to be confused with Fruit of the Loom).
The fruits of the spirit are the attitudes and attributes of a person who is
fully in tune with the will of God and who lives a very Christlike life. The
fruits are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness,
gentleness, and self-control.
If we are honest, there are very few
people nowadays who embody all of these nine characteristics. Actually, there
are fewer and fewer people these days who embody ANY of these nine
characteristics.
Some of the fruits of the spirit are the
foundation of the Christian worldview: faithfulness and love. If we don’t have
faith, if we don’t believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ, then we are not going to
know that love must be the essence of a Christian’s life. A quick look at our
modern culture makes it very clear that many people no longer have faith in
God, and as a result, true sacrificial love has been replaced by selfish lust,
and the results are not pretty.
Other fruits of the spirit are the
direct result of having faith and expressing that faith through love. These
are: joy, peace, kindness, and generosity. These fruits are not things we can
set out to achieve and then work toward them. They are the byproducts of doing
other things properly, that is, of having faith in Christ and being filled with
His love. If someone has true faith and demonstrates an abundance of love
toward others, that person also will be filled with joy and peace, with kindness
and generosity soon following. Two-thousand years of Christian history proves
beyond a doubt this is true.
The three remaining fruits of the spirit
are the ones we have the most control over: patience, gentleness, and
self-control. Unfortunately, our modern culture practically demands that we do
the exact opposite of these three fruits.
First, let’s consider patience. We live
in an instant gratification society. If people do not get what they want
immediately, they go bonkers. Just think of all the modern products and
services available that emphasize “instant relief,” “same-day service,” or
“overnight delivery.” This reminds me of my favorite prayer: “Lord, please give
me patience—and I want it RIGHT NOW!”
Next, let’s look at gentleness. Our
culture rewards aggressiveness and mocks anyone who is quiet, reserved, and
polite. “The squeaky wheel gets the grease!” we hear constantly, as we are
encouraged to “stand up for our rights” and “demand satisfaction.” Which
usually means: throw a temper tantrum and badger others until you get what you
want. Not very attractive, and not a likely source of peace and happiness.
The final fruit is self-control. Oh boy,
where do we even begin? Our modern culture—with a big boost from the
advertising industry and the sexual revolution of the 1960s—had conditioned
contemporary citizens to give in to every urge that comes our way. Do you have
an urge to buy something? Cha-ching! Do you have an urge to eat something? Chow
down! Do you have an urge to have sex with someone? Go for it! Our national
anthem during the past 50 years has been: “If it feels good, do it!”
So, is the average American happy and
joyful and serene as a result of ignoring the nine fruits of the spirit? Not
even close. Instead of fruits of the spirit, our culture is harvesting bitter
fruits. It’s time for us to be counter-cultural. It’s time to reject the self-centered
attitudes of our modern society and instead embrace the eternal truths of God.
St. Paul knew what he was talking about. The nine fruits of the spirit are the
key to a happy and fulfilled life. Let’s give them a try.
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