Do you like to garden? I remember my first childhood effort at growing a crop. Someone told me that a radish would be the fastest plant to grow, so I went to the store and bought a package of radish seeds. After digging a few holes in the Chatham County red clay, I dropped the seeds into place. Then, I took a large can and doused my “farm” with lots of water. And then I waited. Each day I rushed to see my radish plant. Each day I saw dirt. What had I done wrong? Why wasn’t my radish emerging? And then, one day I saw the faintest touch of green poking its head out of the ground. I grabbed it and pulled, ready to show off my prize plant. What I had in my hand was not the bright red of the ripe vegetable; instead, I had the withering paleness of a stalk pulled too soon. Finally, I heeded the parental advice about waiting until finally I was able to enjoy the finest homegrown radish ever planted.
All this came to mind when I read this week’s focal text about the fruit of the Spirit. If God’s Spirit seeks to plant love and generosity in my heart, how quickly do they grow? If God’s Spirit wants gentleness and self-control to come alive in me, how soon will they appear? Is there any evidence that the seed is taking root?
How do I express love? How do I show joy? How do I live out peace? How do I exhibit patience? How do I offer kindness? How do I overflow with generosity? How do I stay with faithfulness? How do I manifest gentleness? How do I manage self-control?
Now, go over that preceding paragraph and change the word “How” to the word “When.” When do I express love? When do I show joy? When do I live out peace? When do I exhibit patience? When do I offer kindness? When do I overflow with generosity? When do I stay with faithfulness? When do I manifest gentleness? When do I manage self-control?
Getting specific like that makes me realize that I have blocked some of the Spirit’s gifts. I can vaguely be loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, generous, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled. It is when I begin to name examples that I find myself falling short. These verses on the gifts of the Spirit are almost an invitation to confession.
What Someone Else Has Said: Walter Brueggemann (Peace, Chalice Press): “We are called to be sons and daughters, expected to grow and mature, summoned to adulthood...We are invited, expected, and urged to become persons we are not. “
Prayer: As you prepare this lesson, let your prayer begin: “Spirit of God, I open myself to Your leading, even if it is to something I have not been...”
