I had an epiphany today during devotions. Tis a wonderful time to have them. Anyway, I've been saved for 14 years and I've recently started trying to figure out what things about the Christian life I know and what things I actually understand. There is quite the difference you know.
So today my epiphany was on the Fruits of the Spirit. Particularly joy and peace. I started to wonder whether I actually understood "joy" at all.
Then it dawned on me what joy was. I'm sure I don't have it down pat just yet, but at the moment, if you were to ask me to define joy, I'd have to say at least part of it is an untouchable feeling of 'happiness' and 'peace' combined, that no measure of sorrow can ever penetrate.
Almost at the same time I realized I understood, and have understood what perfect peace is- the unshakable feeling that even though the world around you has crumbled, you're still standing safe and sound in the cleft of the rock.
It almost seems silly to me that it has taken me this long to figure this out, but I suppose this is the result of having doctrine and theology shoved into my head since I could understand speech, with out ever remembering what it was like to not know joy or peace.
With this I also realized that these are not things that I have to really strive for. They are, after all, Fruits of the Spirit. And like any fruit, it grows naturally from the tree. Of course the gardener must tend the tree and what not, but the gardener doesn't force the fruit to grow, the gardener simply makes it easier for it to grow and does what he can to ensure it does. That is my job. By being a Christian, the fruits of the spirit are a natural product of it.
... I think I said that right... :o)
I hope that made sense, because this is how I finally got a grasp on the whole concept of the Fruits of the Spirit. If I'm dead wrong, somebody let me know so I can either explain better or change my thinking...
Our God is so patient with me! Once again, I am humbled.
1 comment:
I looked up both joy and peace in a lexicon just to refresh my memory as to what those words mean in their context. Joy means cheerfulness, calm delight, gladness; and peace means peace, quietness, or rest. So you are right. We can have a cheerful, calm delighting rest because of the Anchor we have in Christ. Incidently, it is rather interesting to note that the passage we studied in Gen. Ep. today was the exact same as I was studying in my devos this morning. Sometime read Philippians and note each time you find the word joy, rejoice, rejoicing, etc. and then make your observations and applications.
It's great to hear how God is working in your life. As you continue to grow, so will the Fruit of the Spirit in your life. I don't see any glaring heresy in your thinking:)
Sorry this was so long. I should have just responded via my own blog!
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