In Biblical times meekness meant far more than it does in modern day English. It carried the idea of being tamed, like a wild horse that has been brought under control. In Numbers 12:3 we read, “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.” Moses was one of the greatest if not the greatest leader of Israel. Yet what we see with him is that he had power and strength that was under control. Just like a river under control can be used to generate power, and a fire under control can heat a home, Meekness or gentleness can enable us to lead with compassion and care. Meekness enjoys a quiet strength that confounds those who think of it as simply a weakness, and is referred to as love under discipline. How do we apply meekness to ourselves? 1) We do not rise us defensively when our feelings are ruffled. 2) We do not crave the pre-eminence, our desire is for Christ to be glorified. 3) We do not seek to be recognized and highly regarded or to be considered the voice of authority. This may happen, because of … READ MORE

The third and final cluster of characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit has to do with the inward man and the first of those is Faithfulness. This is not faith exercised by the Christian, but rather to the faithfulness found in a yielded Christian life. Jesus in his parable of the talents said in Matthew 25:21 “Well done, good and FAITHFUL servant; you were FAITHFUL over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.” (emphasis mine). Morality is not so much a matter of magnitude, but of quality. Lack of faithfulness is actually a sign of spiritual immaturity. A young person may want all the privileges of adulthood, but refuse to accept the responsibilities that go along with adulthood. God gives us certain responsibilities as we mature in our Christian walk. When we are disobedient and refuse to accept those responsibilities, we are unfaithful. We often grow at a slower rater that we should because we refuse to allow the Holy Spirit to control all areas of our lives. Over and over we are admonished to be faithful, Proverbs 28:20 reminds us “A faithful man will abound with blessings, but he who hastens to be rich … READ MORE

We can say “I love you” all we want, but if there is never any evidence of our love, our words will be called into question. In Galatians 5:23 we see the 6th of the characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit, and that is “goodness.” This word is derived from Greek word referring to that quality found in a person who is ruled by what is good, and it represents the highest moral and ethical values. Goodness is love in action, and it carries with it the idea of righteousness demonstrated in everyday living, through our reliance on the Holy Spirit. This is manifested in our lives when we do things for others, not for recognition or any rewards, we do them just because it is the right thing to do. Perhaps the greatest gift that we give to others is forgiveness. It is the hardest thing that we do, but forgiveness is when we look most like God. None of us are perfect, therefore we are always asking God to forgive us for our sinful behavior. That being the case, we must be willing to extend forgiveness to others. Romans 12:18-21 reminds us of this responsibility. When we … READ MORE