My only consolation about not writing as often as I'd like (and maybe you'd like) is that you're used to this, faithful friends. I'm not always a good, consistent writer. And I'm sorry about it.
Today, I was working on a bible study regarding the Holy Spirit that we will discuss at tonight's Kenya meeting.
The last question made me think. "In light of other scripture read today, how do you think we receive the fruit of the Spirit?"
I was thinking about how when we receive the Spirit of God, we also receive the fruit. The bible says we put off the sinful nature, that we are no longer controlled by it, but instead are controlled by the Spirit. And that if we live by the spirit we will no longer gratify the desires of the sinful nature (Gal 5).
A couple things about this.
FIRST: A couple years ago I gave a workshop at a women's retreat about "moldy vegetables." Some of you, friends, may remember this. I spoke about the things in our lives that we don't want to talk about or acknowledge, and how our lives can be like refrigerators - full of vegetables - some fresh and some not so fresh, and how hard it is to force yourself to open the vegetable drawer and take out those moldy smelly vegies. But that if we don't remove them and clean out that drawer, the mold will spread and infect even the fresh vegies until our entire fridge reeks and we are afraid to open it when we have people over. People go to open the door and we're like - "OH, we just drink tap water around here - nothing for you to see in that appliance!" Because we are ashamed that we can't even keep our own house clean.
What a glorious thing, that with Jesus we can clean out that fridge at any time without embarassment - and even better, Jesus sticks his hands into that drawer (without gloves, even!) and just pulls out those vegies, throws them in the trash, ties it up and even takes it to the dumpster for us. Then he sends in his assistant to clean that fridge until it shines. Its like he says to us, "I know you can't do this job. But I can, and I love you and will do it for you, if you really want it to be cleaned." Well, the assistant is the Holy Spirit, who purifies our impurities and cleanses us through. And then he works like "Arm and Hammer" to keep out the stench and to help us stay clean.
But the thing is that we keep buying vegies - because we like them and want to be healthy - but sometimes we leave them in too long again and anyway.... you get what I'm saying.
In fact, recently a gal who I know approached me and said, "I have to show my room to a campus tour and I don't have time to clean it and its REALLY, REALLY messy" (that was my paraphrase). I encouraged her to ask a friend for help and that it wouldn't take as long as she feared. But get this - when she got home, some friends of hers had gotten her extra key and were in the process of cleaning her room for her. Pretty amazing. That is Holy Spirit work to me. God knows our needs and will find a way, if we are seeking him. These friends exemplified what it means to be a Christian, and to live according to the Spirit.
SECOND. So I was thinking about the refrigerator and the moldy vegies, because of the question above. I was thinking about how the Holy Spirit is like a grandmother who comes to visit and she brings all this great stuff with her - baked goods, homemade presents, etc. She offers all of it to you, but in order for you to really have it, in order for it to be part of you, you have to reach out and take it from her, and then put it to use - either eating it, or sitting under it (if its a blanket) or whatever.
And I was thinking the Holy Spirit is like a friend who stocked your refrigerator with good things - apples, pears, strawberries, peaches, etc. Well, that friend can sit with you at your kitchen table all day long and you can never reach into the icebox for an apple. In fact, you might reach past the apple and grab the Coke or pull ice cream out of the freezer instead. Your friend isn't going to force you to eat the apple or peaches - even though those are better for you.
The Holy Spirit is like that. By receiving him into our home (our body) we have access to all these good things: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, but if we don't reach for them and use it - or eat of it - we will not necessarily be living by the Spirit and shutting down the desires of the sinful nature.
I'll admit it - I like ice cream. Frankly, broccoli (though good) is not an adequate subsitute to my brain, my heart, my stomach - I like ice cream better. But when I stop eating ice cream for a while and eat other things (broccoli included) instead, I feel better. My body feels better. Now, I don't necessarily realize this when I'm eating the better things, but I do realize it when I go back to ice cream and I feel tired, lethargic, sick to my stomach and when my pulse changes. Then I realize how much better I feel eating things that are good for me.
I realize that by eating good (better) things I am starving my desire for sweets, which makes it die (slowly, but truly) and I am stoking my desire for good things. When I eat better, I want to work out more, read more, pray more. When I eat less well, well.... I want to eat more and sit more.
I have to be proactive to eat healthy. I have to be proactive to live the fruits of the spirit. I can't say, "Hey, I guess I'll just be loving today because the holy spirit dropped a big bushel of love apples in my fridge" - I have to grab the apple and take a bite - which will make me want to offer apples to those around me and then I'll BE loving. I have to make a choice to BE peaceful in the face of frustration, to BE joyful in the face of grief, to BE gentle when I want to be harsh.
I don't always do this stuff very well. But I'm going to try to be more proactive now.
And to eat more fruits.
Blessings to you today! Love, Tiff
Today, I was working on a bible study regarding the Holy Spirit that we will discuss at tonight's Kenya meeting.
The last question made me think. "In light of other scripture read today, how do you think we receive the fruit of the Spirit?"
I was thinking about how when we receive the Spirit of God, we also receive the fruit. The bible says we put off the sinful nature, that we are no longer controlled by it, but instead are controlled by the Spirit. And that if we live by the spirit we will no longer gratify the desires of the sinful nature (Gal 5).
A couple things about this.
FIRST: A couple years ago I gave a workshop at a women's retreat about "moldy vegetables." Some of you, friends, may remember this. I spoke about the things in our lives that we don't want to talk about or acknowledge, and how our lives can be like refrigerators - full of vegetables - some fresh and some not so fresh, and how hard it is to force yourself to open the vegetable drawer and take out those moldy smelly vegies. But that if we don't remove them and clean out that drawer, the mold will spread and infect even the fresh vegies until our entire fridge reeks and we are afraid to open it when we have people over. People go to open the door and we're like - "OH, we just drink tap water around here - nothing for you to see in that appliance!" Because we are ashamed that we can't even keep our own house clean.
What a glorious thing, that with Jesus we can clean out that fridge at any time without embarassment - and even better, Jesus sticks his hands into that drawer (without gloves, even!) and just pulls out those vegies, throws them in the trash, ties it up and even takes it to the dumpster for us. Then he sends in his assistant to clean that fridge until it shines. Its like he says to us, "I know you can't do this job. But I can, and I love you and will do it for you, if you really want it to be cleaned." Well, the assistant is the Holy Spirit, who purifies our impurities and cleanses us through. And then he works like "Arm and Hammer" to keep out the stench and to help us stay clean.
But the thing is that we keep buying vegies - because we like them and want to be healthy - but sometimes we leave them in too long again and anyway.... you get what I'm saying.
In fact, recently a gal who I know approached me and said, "I have to show my room to a campus tour and I don't have time to clean it and its REALLY, REALLY messy" (that was my paraphrase). I encouraged her to ask a friend for help and that it wouldn't take as long as she feared. But get this - when she got home, some friends of hers had gotten her extra key and were in the process of cleaning her room for her. Pretty amazing. That is Holy Spirit work to me. God knows our needs and will find a way, if we are seeking him. These friends exemplified what it means to be a Christian, and to live according to the Spirit.
SECOND. So I was thinking about the refrigerator and the moldy vegies, because of the question above. I was thinking about how the Holy Spirit is like a grandmother who comes to visit and she brings all this great stuff with her - baked goods, homemade presents, etc. She offers all of it to you, but in order for you to really have it, in order for it to be part of you, you have to reach out and take it from her, and then put it to use - either eating it, or sitting under it (if its a blanket) or whatever.
And I was thinking the Holy Spirit is like a friend who stocked your refrigerator with good things - apples, pears, strawberries, peaches, etc. Well, that friend can sit with you at your kitchen table all day long and you can never reach into the icebox for an apple. In fact, you might reach past the apple and grab the Coke or pull ice cream out of the freezer instead. Your friend isn't going to force you to eat the apple or peaches - even though those are better for you.
The Holy Spirit is like that. By receiving him into our home (our body) we have access to all these good things: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, but if we don't reach for them and use it - or eat of it - we will not necessarily be living by the Spirit and shutting down the desires of the sinful nature.
I'll admit it - I like ice cream. Frankly, broccoli (though good) is not an adequate subsitute to my brain, my heart, my stomach - I like ice cream better. But when I stop eating ice cream for a while and eat other things (broccoli included) instead, I feel better. My body feels better. Now, I don't necessarily realize this when I'm eating the better things, but I do realize it when I go back to ice cream and I feel tired, lethargic, sick to my stomach and when my pulse changes. Then I realize how much better I feel eating things that are good for me.
I realize that by eating good (better) things I am starving my desire for sweets, which makes it die (slowly, but truly) and I am stoking my desire for good things. When I eat better, I want to work out more, read more, pray more. When I eat less well, well.... I want to eat more and sit more.
I have to be proactive to eat healthy. I have to be proactive to live the fruits of the spirit. I can't say, "Hey, I guess I'll just be loving today because the holy spirit dropped a big bushel of love apples in my fridge" - I have to grab the apple and take a bite - which will make me want to offer apples to those around me and then I'll BE loving. I have to make a choice to BE peaceful in the face of frustration, to BE joyful in the face of grief, to BE gentle when I want to be harsh.
I don't always do this stuff very well. But I'm going to try to be more proactive now.
And to eat more fruits.
Blessings to you today! Love, Tiff
1 comment:
wow that was really good! Thanks for sharing that! you are a really good writer! I had never thought or heard of an analogy like that for the fruits of the spirit and it's so applicapable and so true. it will stick with me and remind me of your words the next time i open the fridge!
blessings
jodi
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