29th April - 5th May

Have you ever looked at the online comment section underneath an article you’ve just read or video you’ve enjoyed? Chances are you’ve witnessed some very strange or unkind reactions, or unnecessary fights between strangers. How does a video of newborn kittens inspire a hate-filled debate about climate change?! Last week, I read two very different Christian articles shared on a well-known Christian social media account. I didn’t agree with everything these articles said, but I did find their perspectives challenging and thought-provoking. However, I then made the mistake of looking at the comment section, which was full of emotional, angry, highly-charged opinions, lacking in graciousness and kindness, and often displaying just as much vitriol as I observe on secular accounts. There is something very disturbing about the followers of a Christian account looking no different from those of a secular one.

After I got over my initial surprise and disappointment at the ugliness I was seeing between Christians, I found myself turning the mirror inwards for a moment of prayerful self-reflection. Could someone make the same criticism about me? Would an outsider recognise the Holy Spirit living in me or do I look just like the rest of the world?         

You might be thinking, “Christianity isn’t all about external appearances!” The church is full of sinful, broken people who hurt each other all the time. Saved (justified) people who are also being saved (sanctified) each day, a little bit at a time, with many small steps forward and large steps backward, praise God! But if we have the Holy Spirit living inside of us, then we have been made alive in Christ and we shouldn’t be content to remain in our old selves.

The apostle Paul says that those who have the Holy Spirit living in them should show “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). And yet these qualities often seem to be completely absent from the way Christians treat each other.      

Paul tells us that we are a chosen people, set aside by God and “dearly loved” by him. God has welcomed us into his Kingdom and he has sent us the Holy Spirit to help us dress for such a holy place. Paul says, “clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity” (Colossians 3:12-14).                                 

There is an extensive building project happening in our back garden at the moment with a variety of tradespeople coming and going every day. They see a lot of our daily life on display for them – does our little family look any different from others we know? How do I speak to my spouse and my child? And when I lose patience, do I repent? As I reflect on these questions, I can’t help feeling convicted.         

I’m sure you’ve heard that often-used joke, “If you pray for patience, God will really test you!” But I believe we don’t need to worry about God sending us increasingly difficult circumstances to show us how far we are from Christlikeness. We are already facing those circumstances, whether we like it or not. What we need to ask for is the grace to handle these tests and difficult situations in God-honouring ways. We are works in progress, but we’re promised “that he who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). We need more and more of the Holy Spirit and it will never hurt us to ask for him.

This week, I would love to pray through the fruit of the Spirit with you, to ask God to grow these things more deeply in me and in our Christian community, so that our actions and our words may be noticeably different from the world around us, by God’s grace.

Guest Contributor - Corrie Johnston

Monday – Love 

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  
John 13:34-35

Heavenly Father, thank you for loving us enough to create us in your image though you knew we would fall. Thank you for loving us enough to rescue us through your only Son’s sacrifice. Thank you for loving us enough to defeat death on our behalf so that we could spend eternity with you. Thank you for loving us enough to send us your Spirit to make us more like your Son. We should respond to this love by obeying your command to love those around us, but we confess that we constantly fail to live up to your example. Help us to see each other as you see us – made in your image and precious to you. Help us to grow in love for each other through our words and actions, to think less of ourselves and more of others, so the world will know that we are your disciples. Amen. 

Tuesday – Joy and Peace

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” 
Colossians 3:15-16

Father, what a gift it is that we have access to joy and peace through your Holy Spirit! These are not changeable emotions, but spirit-soothing states of being that keep us rooted in truth when our hearts are shaken by grief, fear and anxiety. Help us to pursue joy and peace by spending time in your Word and with you in prayer. Help us also to make peace in our relationships with each other through forgiveness and love. Let our joy be evident to others through our worshipful attitude as we pursue our daily callings. Amen.

Wednesday – Patience and Self-Control

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires […] Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.” 
James 1:19-20, 26

Oh Father, I confess that these often feel like the most difficult fruits to display, especially as our sinful culture tells us to speak up for ourselves, shout our opinions, and pursue our own desires first. But you call us to speak less, to listen with graciousness and to respond with care for the hearts of others. How carefully Jesus dealt with us when he walked among us and how patient you are, Father, with us though we doubt you and defy you every day. We need so much help to be like this, Father! Holy Spirit, please restrain our tongues, convict us when we need to apologise for things we’ve said or done and fill our hearts with so much love for God and for others that we cannot help but respond to difficult situations with patience and self-control. Amen.

Thursday – Kindness and Goodness

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”  
Galatians 6:9-10

O Lord, you are such a good and kind Father, showering us with more blessings than we could ever ask for. Every good and gracious gift comes from above, from your generous hand. How can we begin to thank you for your tenderness toward us? Instead of imitating your example, we confess that we’re quick to judge others, to think critically or meanly about them and to speak badly about them. Instead of delighting in doing good to others, we often resent giving up our time or resources. Father, we pray that you would fill our hearts with concern for others and help us to think graciously of each other. As you change our hearts, we also pray that you would move us beyond simply thinking well of others into an active kindness demonstrated through doing good. Amen. 

Friday – Faithfulness

“Since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” 
Hebrews 10:21-23

Father, thank you for your steadfast love and faithfulness to us! Thank you for keeping your promises to us, for pursuing us and holding onto us, though our faith often wavers and we try to run from you or think we don’t need you. Forgive us for doubting you, Father. Help us to trust in your promises to us and your love for us. Thank you so much for giving us our church family and the wider family of believers across your world, that we might help spur each other on in our faith. Help us to encourage one another in our faith by praying with and for each other, meeting together in worship and being dependable and reliable in our relationships with each other. Amen.

Saturday – Gentleness 

“Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.” 
Titus 3:1-2

Heavenly Father, gentleness and humility are not popular traits in our world today, but how gentle you are with us when we come to you in repentance! Your Word tells us that you care for us as a mother cares for her newborn child, with perfect tenderness. We see perfect gentleness and humility displayed in Christ when he walked the earth. Though he calmed wild storms and raised the dead to life with just his voice, he went humbly to the cross without a word. Help us, Father, to put others before ourselves, to stop worshiping our own reputation or achievements and instead look for how we can serve others. Forgive us for the times when our cynicism or sarcasm have hurt others. Help us to be courageous in defending the gospel, but also loving and meek in how we speak to others. Amen/

Sunday

“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” 
Philippians 1:9-11

Heavenly Father, I confess that the more I grow in the knowledge and insight of your Word, the more I see my own failures. I want to be like the tree in the first Psalm, planted firmly by streams of water, displaying beautiful and rich fruits of righteousness, but so often I put my old self back on. Thank you, Father, for your unfailing love for me. Thank you for your patience and kind forgiveness. Thank you for gently steering me back onto the path of righteousness. Thank you for your daily grace and goodness to me. Father, I pray with Paul that you would grow us each to look more like Jesus through the power of your Holy Spirit, so that you would be glorified by us and so that the world will come to know you through us. Thank you for inviting us to be part of the building of your Kingdom – what a privilege! We love you, Lord. Amen.