For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. Titus 1:7-8
I pondered this morning why we can often cause hurt and damage to the very people we love the most. After asking and discussing it with the Holy Spirit the core of the issue is self centeredness and selfishness. We often think it is ‘okay’ if we shorten the process by just doing what we ‘think’ is all we need to do — as we are in the place we think is the most important thing presently. We are to ‘quick’ to deal with them so as we can move back to what we were doing… which we think is the most important or the most comfortable to us. Sometimes we just don’t want to be removed from our comfortable place, so we give a ‘quick’ answer, or do something that is the easiest for us rather than what really would be an ‘act of kindness’. We prioritize ourselves over them, and if we’ve done this a lot in the past… it becomes an unconscious act we don’t even see it as harmful. Jesus actually modeled and did the opposite of this.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23
These fruit of the Holy Spirit may take a lifetime to be produced maturely in our lives. There are depths spiritually that need to be learned of each of those fruit. If you’re really serious about your commitment to the Lord… then you will be ever in pursuit of knowing the processes and relationship with the Holy Spirit. Why? It’s not about the formulas of religion.. it’s about Who Jesus sent to the Body after He rose into heaven. The evidence of the Holy Spirit being in someone’s life is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. It’s what He wants to produce in all of us if we’ll let Him.
So are we willing for Him to reprogram us? Are we willing to ask questions of Him? Are we willing to listen to His answers to us? Are we willing to do the assignments He gives us to do? Are we willing to be changed by Him? Are you willing to be corrected by Him? Are you willing to look at the depths of yourself that only He knows?
The fruit of the Holy Spirit is what we should be displaying and utilizing with our closest inner circle, our family, our spouse. If we truly love them the most then we should be going even farther in our efforts than we would for anyone else. We often think because they are our family / spouse that they should ‘understand’ why we’re being so harsh or crabby with them. This is definitely a thought that is not from the teachings of Jesus, but from self centeredness and selfishness. One can be direct and honest without being harsh. Slow to speak, and slow to anger (James 1:19) is good advice. Be thoughtful. Be mindful. Be purposeful to show love. Be aware of the Holy Spirit’s direction / Voice at any moment of the day.