Wednesday: Work and Spirituality
“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Gal: 5:25). One’s work and spirituality are inseparable. Christianity is not a garment that can be put on or taken off as one changes moods or passes through different phases of life. Instead, Christianity creates a new being who manifests himself or herself in every dimension of life, including work.
Read Galatians 5:22-26. What gifts that Paul describes also describe you and your work?
Image © Kevin Carden at Goodsalt.com
The Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words describes the “spiritual” person as “one who manifests the fruits of the Spirit in his own way.” From this, we may conclude that through our connection with Christ, we human beings will function as believers in all aspects of our lives.
A patient lay dying at Florida Hospital as his closest friend kept a vigil at his bedside. Nurses moved in and out of the room, caring for the patient’s needs. Seeking to keep the conversation moving, the friend asked the nurses where they had their training. Many had said that they were educated at Florida Hospital College.
This made a big impression on the friend. He then subsequently made several visits to Florida Hospital College to see what it was like. Why? Because he had told people that the nurses trained at this school seemed to him to constantly give more tender loving care to his dying friend than did those nurses who had been trained somewhere else. That is, he was able to see a big difference between them and others in regard to their attitude toward his dying friend.
Thus, he asked many questions about the college and its mission, and eventually he left a gift of $100,000 to educate more nurses such as those he had seen in action. Yes, spirituality is a way of life.
| How do you manifest your own spirituality in the day-to-day tasks of your life? What kind of impression do you think that you make (because, in the end, you do make an impression)? |
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Today's study guide leads me to self reflection - am I producing enough of the good fruit?
Jesus said by their fruit you will know them Matt 7:20
He also said abide in me and you will produce much fruit John 15:5
The branches of the vine do not produced fruit over night, they need constant nutrition and even pruning.
John and Judas are an example for us. Both eagerly made the decision to follow Jesus and walked with Him for three years. John developed from a son of thunder to the 'disciple Jesus loved', Judas's true character was revealed when he thought he could manipulate Jesus into physically taking control of His kingdom.
But Jesus is no longer physically with us so how do I daily walk with Him? Jesus has sent to you and me the third person of the partnership of the Triune Godhead to dwell in my heart - the Holy Spirit - who will guide me into all truth. He is my constant companion, my helper, my counselor, my soulmate. He the Holy Spirit, who is God, is working in me, giving me the desire and the power to do what pleases Him. Phil 2:13
This is how you and I will produce the fruit of the Spirit which will be revealed by our interactions with other humans.
Although our works do not save us, a saving attitude can demonstrate how much we want to be saved. If people see love in our actions, there must be God in it...
I find it challenging to understand the difference of living in and walking in the Spirit. Maybe they define each other, or each augment each other. If we get intellectual we would say the two together have a synergistic effect. You could say the example is in the picture above, of the fruits of the Spirit, altogether they have a synergistic effect as antioxidents. So does to Bible support working together as more effective? Yes! Hebrews 10:25. Is the day approaching. Seems like it today. How can we be ready beside watching and waiting? Work together as a body.
1Corinthians 12:12-31.
I resonated with your comments John and the phrase "working together" brought the idea of unity into my thoughts. A project moves forward faster and with greater integrity when the workers are united in the goal (a.k.a. fruit of the Spirit):)
The SS lesson today includes the fruit of the spirit (Gal. 5:22-26). Two things I am pondering this morning.
1. Fruit of the spirit is used in the singular form. It indicates the origin of one source whereas "fruits" indicates a fruit salad, many origins. Why is this significant?
2. In Gal 5:23 there is this statement "against such there is no law". Why would that be included in these verses that describe positive behaviors and character-building?
I love your 2nd question, Beth. Now I'm pausing on it too....
So far...it strikes me that the Law is like a courthouse. A place where records are kept, there is an attempt to answer all the questions, it's about keeping order, security, stability, being on schedule, maintaining a decorum of peace and quiet are main concerns. Law is important.
And yet character-building is more like a garden. Buzzing, wild, unpredictable, growing, weathering storms, a place for trial-and-error. I'm remembering sweating in my garden this summer, working hard to pull up the tomato cages all tangled with vines, tenderly staking seedlings I'd started indoors, driving 10 miles each way (it's a community garden) to water daily. Vigilantly picking off hornworms and squash bugs and other pests. Some plants fruited so profusely I couldn't keep up with the harvest. It filled my heart with joy. Others withered though I'd cared for them equally. Who knows why? Gardens aren't places for justice, they're places for partnering with God to tend to and receive His abundant fruitfulness on His schedule.
The word fruit is a noun but it is an exception in that the plural of 'fruit' can be fruit or fruits.
Fruit is generally used to refer to a group collectively and fruits can be used to emphasise several different kinds of fruit specifically.
The fruit of the Spirit referred to in Galatians 5:22 is a collective noun which tells us of the character of Jesus.
There is a phrase "spiritual, but not religious" used to describe oneself. I think it stems from an experience of religion as trying to control people to experience and think about God all in the same way. I shared in a previous post how I went away from formalized religion for a while for this very reason. Now I'm attending church weekly again because I believe it is an important part in my journey of encountering God.
What does this have to do with today's lesson? Well, I believe the Scripture is showing me that work and spirituality and manifesting the fruits of the spirit are inseparable from identifying myself as part of Jesus' Body on this earth. Being connected to Christ is also being connected to the other humans who believe in Him and who pray to daily receive and wear His robe of righteousness.
Jesus Himself joined the synagogue services regularly even though the Pharisees' religion was flawed (Luke 4:16). The Bible encourages us to "keep on assembling together - and all the more as you see the Day approaching" (Hebrews 10:25) ...even though it may need to be remotely for now. By meeting together we "spur one another on toward love and good deeds" (Hebrews 10:24). Matthew 18:18-20 describes how group prayer is a powerful reason to meet together. I've heard this analogy ... that Christians are like coals of fire - together they glow, apart they grow cold.
The spirituality being reference in this lesson is holiness unto the Lord, who calls us to be holy as He is holy. Holiness is not a removable garment for Sabbath only, but is at the very heart of our daily living.
This list in Galatians 5 is not a list of options, but a description of the many facets of the Spirit that will posses any who are willing to be obedient to the will of God. Think of it as a list of the ingredients in a loaf of bread. If you eat that bread, you will have all the ingredients that come with it. Notice that Paul is describing the “fruit”, not “fruits”. Holiness will never be partial, but complete. We need also to realize the Spirit will never dwell with the unrepentant.
I'm not certain that it is our concern is to evaluate our success, but rather to examine ourselves in comparison to the standard in Christ. Are we seeking to know and obey the will of God, and repenting when we fall short of it? This is our “fight”, while we commit our successes to God's care.
When I taught in Thailand I'd see signs everywhere requesting that durian fruit remain away - out of hostels, off of public transport, etc. Why? It stinks! I'm told it smells like raw sewage or rotting onions. It was out of season while I was there so I never got to try it, though I did get to try its relative, jack fruit. Both are very large and heavy with a thorn-covered rind. The jack fruit was delicious, with a kind of pineappley banana, flower flavor.
I like how the lesson reminds us that we each live out the fruits of the Spirit in our own unique ways. Durian fruit reminds me that having off-putting external qualities doesn't mean that God hasn't put something sweet, desirable and nourishing to others inside. Our natural reaction is to shy away from someone who seems covered with defensive thorns, heavy with thoughts, stinky with emotional baggage .....and yet inside
God has placed all the flavorful fruits of the Spirit in different stages of ripening. (1 Samuel 16:7)
It is very helpful to find Gal.5:22-26, the Fruit of the Spirit, as the visual, observable signs for the believer who desires to follows the Way of Truth and Light; they are evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit. All of the Father’s work being done on behalf of mankind is focused on establishing the born-again soul before the day appointed that changes this world; we are called to be about the Father’s business – for our own sake and the sake of others.
I was happy when I found that the fruit of the Spirit started to manifest in my life and know now how important it is to love others rightly, to express respect to all I come in contact with; to treat equally - giving attention and kindness to all I come in contact with. Reliance on the promises of the Father has established in me hope to carry on regardless the circumstances I find myself in - I bloom where I am planted.
The Holy Spirit produces His fruit in the faithful believer’s life in proportion to the willingness of the living soul to die daily to its self-seeking nature. There is no law against/forbidding acts of loving kindness!
If we have accepted the Message of the Gospel of Christ Jesus by faith, we are save in the completed, redemptive work of Christ Jesus; through his Faith we are covered by the mantel of God’s righteousness – Rom.3:21-23KJV; though the work of living our new life by faith is ongoing until we draw our last breath – Rev.14:12KJV.
The Revelations, written down by John, inform us that we are living in the time of the end of this world:
Rev.22:10-12KJV:
“And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.”