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Articles from February 2019

Fruit of the Spirit -KINDNESS

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“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” 
Galatians 5:22-23 NIV

Being kind in this world is becoming a lost art in some areas of our culture. In Matthew 5:40-42 Jesus tells His followers “If someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” And in Romans 12:20 Paul tells his audience “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Paul is quoting from the book of Proverbs. In fact, the Old Testament is full of “kindness” laws. Within the book of Deuteronomy, there are a plethora of laws that deal with being kind, fair and honest with your family, neighbors and foreigners.

Love displays itself in kindness towards others. Romans 2:4 tells us that it’s the kindness of God that leads us toward repentance. Being kind will draw people to you, and in doing so hopefully those people will ultimately be drawn to God. Being kind is asking the clerk behind the cashier’s counter how their day is going. Being kind is watching your neighbors’ kids while she runs another kid to the ER. Kindness is handing out cold water bottles on a hot day at the stadium, or raking your elderly neighbors’ yard in the fall. The chance to be kind is all around you. I challenge you to ask God to open your eyes to see the opportunities to display kindness to those around you. I think you’ll be surprised at how many opportunities there are!

God bless!

Noree Wegmeyer

 

 

 

Photo Credit:   https://www.pexels.com/photo/soldier-giving-red-fruit-on-2-children-during-daytime-36785/

Fruit of the Spirit – PATIENCE

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“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” 
Galatians 5:22-23 NIV

Our nation is very good at stream-lining things for convenience sake. We can drive through and get our coffee, any meal during the day, and any of our medical prescriptions. We pull up to a parking spot and we can have our groceries that we ordered online conveniently packed into our car. We no longer have to hold the handle of a vacuum or a mop to get our floors clean, miraculous little machines will do it for us. Yes, we are a nation that is very good at making things convenient. We are not a nation that is good at waiting. When the drive-through line moves at a snail’s pace we start to yell at the people serving the food (with the windows up of course) wondering what the holdup could be. When on the phone if we get put on hold we press the speaker button, put the phone down, and begin multi-tasking because we cannot stand to sit still and wait for five minutes. We (myself included!) are not a patient people.

In the Bible, the original Greek word is often translated as longsuffering. “LONG” being the key root word. Not only is patience essential to our walk with God, when we display patience with a world that is rude and in a rush, we stand out like a star in the night sky. Throughout the course of our lives, God will teach us many lessons that require patience. But in the meantime, remember to use it as a virtue in your every-day life. It is a kindness that people remember. It is a virtue that points to the love of God.   

God bless!

Noree Wegmeyer

 

 

Photo Credit:   https://www.freeimages.com/photo/don-t-lose-your-patience-1241239

Despite Your Circumstances

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“And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News.”
Philippians 1:12 NLT

As we sat around the tables in Bible study class sharing prayer requests, it was almost depressing. Health issues resulting from disease, trauma, or unknown reasons; loved ones who needed Jesus in their lives; job and financial woes; relationship issues; a need for more affordable housing; personal struggles; ministry opportunities. The needs were real and sobering.

The apostle Paul was certainly a man who understood the hard stuff of life. Imprisoned for his faith in God, many scholars believe Paul was literally chained to a guard 24/7. Despite his chains, his letter to the Philippian church was filled with encouragement and joy; it revealed his great love and constant prayers for the believers.

While in confinement, Paul is not found whining and complaining about his bonds. Instead, his letter records him giving thanks to God because people are hearing about Jesus. Even the new believers were finding courage to speak out about Christ because of Paul’s example while in prison.

As Jesus followers, we are never promised a life of ease. We certainly see that all through the Bible and specifically in Paul’s life. Hardships are going to come sooner or later. Like Paul, will we use those circumstances to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ?

As we learn from the examples of others in the Scriptures, we should ask ourselves, “What are others learning through my example?” Are they seeing the love, peace, hope, and deep joy of Jesus regardless of my difficulty, or are they seeing worry, fear, anger, and anxiety instead? Our lives and situations influence others one way or the other depending on our actions and reactions to adversity. Only with God’s help can our lives bring support and encouragement to others.

May the following prayer be a source of strength during the tough times as we seek to proclaim the message of Christ despite our circumstances.

            “I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in             knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you             may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. May you always be filled with     the fruit of your salvation – the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ – for       this will bring much glory and praise to God.” Philippians 1:9-11 NLT

[Digging deeper – Philippians 1:12-30]

Proclaiming Him in all things,

Beverly <><

 

 

Photo Credit: http://thebiblerevival.com/clipart69.htm;