The fruits of a spiritual life

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."
Confucius

I know, Confucius did not write those words. The above is from the Bible, Galatians 5:22 and 23 to be precise. I mislabeled the quote to demonstrate a point for those who might reject the words due to their feeling about the source. My point is that truth is truth. It doesn't matter if Confucius or Christ or Paul or some drunk in Akron, Ohio speaks or writes it. Truth is truth and will stand up to examination. No matter how one looks at it or discusses it, two plus two is always going to equal four. I personally believe that the quotation from Galatians is just as true as the math statement.

ὁ καρπὸς τοῦ πνεύματος, Greek words meaning the fruit of the Spirit, tells me a few things right from the start. First, I'm dealing with something that is not tied into my works, efforts, performance, etc. It comes out of Spiritual growth only. I believe this is why the word fruits is used rather than results. If I, as a human being, in my own effort and craftsmanship, build or manufacture something, I have produced that thing. Whatever is there when I am done is the result of my labor. But fruit is another matter entirely. I can not build it or manufacture it, and it is not the result of my labor. Surely in order to produce fruit, there is labor involved. The person desiring a particular fruit in particular quantities must plant seeds or saplings, they must then tend to and care for the trees or vines to protect them from pests and disease, they must see to it that the soil is fertilized and moist enough for growth, etc. But the tree that is planted produces the fruit, not the farmer. It is truly out of the farmer's control, and if the tree is healthy and not torn out of the ground, even unattended, it can produce fruit long after the farmer has gone. Fruit is the result of growth. No matter how much effort is put into it, if the tree does not grow, there will be no fruit. On the other side of that is the simple fact that if conditions are right, once the seed is planted, with no outside effort from anyone, a tree can grow and produce fruit. Spiritual fruit is the result of spiritual growth, not the result of my being determined or good or following any rules. If I bathe myself in the sunlight of the Spirit, seek closer relationship with my Creator, and allow my Higher Power to remove those things that hinder that relationship, I will grow and produce the spiritual fruit.

So what about this fruit? The first is ἀγάπη or love. ἀγάπη is not agape or the pure love of God, and it is not denoting a sensual or passionate love either. This is the love as in treasured or prized, it is the deep, quiet, appropriating, natural love, as distinguished from that which is produced by circumstances, emotions, or lust. A father loves his child, a composer loves his music, a child loves her cat, for a relationship to work spouses must love each other in ways other than romantic and sensual. It is simply to value highly and treat that which is loved as such. We are to love each other, and if we are growing spiritually the first fruit that will be produced in our lives is love for ourselves and others. We will begin to value ourselves and those around us.

Next comes χαρά or joy. Joy is not happiness as much as it is the inward peace and satisfaction that is not effected by or dependent upon circumstances. Joy enables me to take pleasure from my day and life even when my circumstances may not warrant happiness. Joy can produce happiness and laughter, but happiness and laughter can not bring about joy. Joy in this sense is the result of spiritual growth, of understanding I am loved and accepted by my Creator.

Out of this love and joy comes εἰρήνη, peace or serenity. This peace passes all understanding of the human mind because it is not dependent upon everything being calm or everyone treating me well. It is, as I have seen on a T-shirt, not the absence of the storm but a quiet calmness and assurance in the midst of it. It comes from no longer being at war with ones own conscience.

With the first three fruits growing in my life, I can now be μακροθυμία, patient or longsuffering. I find I have something within me now that can continue on without giving up, without quitting. Patience is not waiting for something to happen as much as being strengthened by the Spirit so that we can be slow to anger, ready to forgive harms done against us, put up with affronts, and bear with, and forbear one another.If I have the fruit of patience in my life it will be accompanied with gentleness, humanity, affability, courteousness, shown in words, gestures, and actions.

χρηστότης, gentleness, and χρηστότης, goodness towards others. This is love in action. It is being kind towards, in harmony with, and advocating for our fellow man. It is being gentle or caring rather then judgementle and critical towards others. It is practicing tolerance and acceptance.

Through spiritual growth I also produce Πιστις, or faith as in loyalty or fidelity. This is the fruit that makes me dependable in a way that I could never be before on my own, it is being quick or timely in the performing of promises, it is doing the job I am hired to do with the best of my ability and concentration, doing what I say I will do and caring for what I say I will care for.

The next fruit of the spirit is πραΰ̀της or meekness. Meekness does not mean weakness. Meekness is the the right use of power and authority under control. Meekness is humility in the sense of having an accurate estimation of ones self. It is to neither think to highly or to lowly of myself, and when I find myself in a higher standing than another to not act prideful or abusive in that position.

ἐγκράτεια, temperance, is the next fruit and means simply self-control. I rarely had self-control before. If I thought it, I most likely did it or said it and the consequences be damned. Temperance is the evidence of balance in my life and the fruit which enables me to be slow to react to things but instead to pause and ask God for inspiration, an intuitive thought or a decision. It is practicing moderation rather than the extremes of full throttle ahead or all stop.

Against such things, living this way and having everything I do taste of one or more of these fruits, there is no law. No one can have anything valid to use against me, I am not constantly at fault in some way, within these perimeters I have the perfect freedom to do and live as I choose.

It took quite a lot to get to this point, but once I studied on and saw these things I began to understand the truth of Galatians 5:22-23. By working the steps and finding relationship with God, I instigated and cared for spiritual growth in my life. But I did not do the real work. God did. My creator took my willingness and surrender and made me to grow spiritually. I can evaluate my current state of growth by the product, the fruit in my everyday life. I can see that I am spiritually fit when my life is full of love for myself and others, joy, serenity,steadfastness and tolerance, kindness, faithfulness, humility, and balance. And if I want more of these things in my life so that I can have a life worth living, I must plant the right seeds. I have to continually work the steps and surrender to God so that I can continue to grow spiritually.

I have seen this come true in my own life. I have seen it over and over in the lives of others in and out of the rooms. Like any true addict, I want more of such a good thing and more and more. I am so grateful for the gift of a program that shows me step by step how to have this.