|
|
Saturday, September 10, 2005
The Fruit of the Spirit
Some kids are just good kids.
I was one. In high school, I stayed out of trouble. I never drank. I didn't do drugs. I played sports. I was president of my senior class. I was in "Who's Who of American High School Students." I never had a car wreck that was my fault. I dated a really sweet girl-next-door type. I was involved in my church.
I just wasn't spiritual. At all.
See, I didn't drink or do drugs because I didn't want to disappoint my mom. She'd cried a lot after my dad died, and I just inherently knew that it would hurt her a great deal if those were habits I chose.
I played sports because it was what my friends did mostly. True, I loved baseball...but I don't think I ever played so I could glorify God. I just had fun doing it.
I wasn't president of my class because it was a way to serve my classmates. I ran as a joke on a dare and won because everybody thought that was pretty funny. The better guy lost.
I didn't make the grades that my friends did. I got into "Who's Who" because that's when they still counted grades in courses like Art the same as Biology. So, those A's in Music Appreciation balanced out the "C" in Calculus (oh yeah, there wasn't inherent grade inflation in the system as there is in our community today, but that's an entirely different blog). I was far from learning because it would help me discern my giftedness and uselfulness to God. I was manipulating a system.
I was a safe driver because I was paying for my own insurance and my mom explained to me how much the rates would go up per claim filed. Also, I had a car that I loved and babied. I got a ticket once, too, and paying that money seemed to me like throwing it in the street...so I avoided that deal like the plague.
The girl I dated steadily was really a good kid, too. We really valued our relationship and were pretty cautious with it...we were shy and naive and really weren't in any hurry to rush things physically.
I got all sorts of props for my church involvement. Plus, it was pretty fun at times. I had good Bible study leaders who really took an interest in me, so that made it pretty easy.
All in all, my mom had it pretty easy.
But notice none of it was spiritual. It was behavior management...all outward actions that I could control...my heart and desires were far from righteous. Secretly, I wanted to drink because it led to all sorts of behavior that my friends got popular for. Drugs were a temptation primarily because of curiosity, and I ws rarely in places they were being done, but I didn't despise them or see them as inherently foolish. Sports got me on the "B" list of popular and there were all sorts of pride and ambition those brought out. Grades were, at best, a necessary evil to manipulate so I could have freedom or keep my mom off my back or get into some other college or life situation that would better myself. I kept the laws so I wouldn't lose cash or driving privileges. Church was just what you did...and I don't know that I truly ever worshipped in high school. And this is hardly the place to discuss what I'd like to have done with my girlfriend.
I was a legalist. Plain and simple.
But the key to the spiritual life is that inward realities, heart changes, are the key to the spiritual life. That way, you can have your outward manifestations be genuine...and it explains how somebody like King David could be an adulterer and a killer while still being a man after God's own heart. The Lord sees not as man sees, but He looks at the heart. And that's what God wants us to change.
See, the fruit of the Spirt: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (read Galatians 5:22 ff) are all inherently coming from inside. Fruit is the outward manifestation of what goes on inside the tree...
Same for the spiritual life...
...and we're going to begin talking about the fruit one at a time during the fall semester.
But, for today, how much of our daily lives do we spend focusing on cleaning up the outside against how much time do we focus on fixing the heart?
Brent 6:30 AM
|