Faithful on Fridays Blog

Part Two

Believers in Jesus Christ are expected to think, speak, and act in contrast to the world and make no mistake, people are looking for our fruit.

The first fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5) is love, defined in many terms, however, two of my favorites are unconditional and non-reciprocal; we don’t love someone because they deserve it or show it; we love without those conditions. Non-reciprocal means we love expecting nothing in return. Ouch.

The best way to check how love is growing in your life is to compare yourself to Jesus’ instructions because love is personified in Jesus. If you want to define love then read the gospels and watch for that word, not only His love for us but how we show love to others. That’s the sticky part.

But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.

If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Luke 6:27-28, 32, 35

So … love enemies, do good to haters, bless the cursers, pray for the abusers. Did I get that right? How’s that even possible?

Keep in mind that as we adjust to the Spirit living in us we will fail but with His help and strength we try again … and again; the key is desire. Do you really want to be like Jesus? You’re not in this alone, we have the power to love because He gave us the Holy Spirit.

God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:5b

Let’s look briefly at this ‘fruit check’ using 1 Cor. 13: the Love Chapter.

• Love is patient and kind; that means you don’t quit when it’s hard (it’s unconditional) but in the power of His Spirit you keep being nice when you get nothing in return (it’s non-reciprocal).
• Love focuses on others; there’s no room for envy, boasting, arrogance, or rudeness.
• Self-centeredness, irritability, and record-keeping of wrongs is not love.
• Love rejoices when good things happen to others, even those who hurt you.
• Love protects, shields, and even conceals; it covers a multitude of sin (1 Peter 4:8).
• Believing the best in people is true love: keep praying for them.
• Love has a confident expectation of good things for others: deserving or not.
• Love never surrenders, it’s enduring with no end.

Remember, you weren’t created to fulfill these on your own but only by the power of Jesus’ Spirit. Read that list again and pray for His strength to be infused into you by the Spirit.