Sunday, March 28, 2010

Fruit of the Spirit

We all know the words of it, but do we really understand what it means to have the fruit of the Spirit.
I'm going to take them one at a time (cause that's about all I can handle, unless I've really had a lot of Spark!):
Love: love comes in many forms, even in the Bible the Greek translation for love can be very different. For example, the Greek language has 4 words for love: eros, storge, philia and agape. Since the NT was written originally in Greek, I think it is wise to know well the meaning of each of these.
Eros=love=this is the word that we get erotic from. It is basically that animal attraction kind of love. It is the sensual kind of love or romantic love.
Storge=love=committed love, love between family and/or friends/familial love.
Philia=love=good Samaritan kind of love/brotherly love
Agape=love=the highest form, unconditional love
I believe that the type of love that we possess when we are portraying the fruit of the Spirit is agape love. As I was studying the word meanings for each of these, I noticed that agape got the most written about it. It is the most difficult for us to achieve. I believe that is because society does everything to steer us away from this kind of love. Certainly we are always asked to have philia love, by helping others, we naturally possess storge love for our spouse, children, parents, etc. and eros love is also a natural instinct that appears to come once our hormones develop.
So, as I strive to be more like Jesus, I will keep my mind centered around agape love and more importantly start showing my agape fruit at home. We CAN change the world, however we MUST start at home. what kind of witness would I be if I was mean, selfish, distant or non-communicative at home, then went out and tried to be God's hands and feat in the community? What would people have thought of Jesus if he was short tempered and distant to the disciples and then went out and loved on others? They would have thought he was a hypocrite!
Lord, give me the strength to bloom fresh with your agape love! This love can only come from You! Until I put my life continually in the control of the Holy Spirit which have so gracefully left within me, I will never be able to reach this high form of love that you desire for each of us. show me when my fruit is starting to wilt. Open my eyes that I may see as You see Lord.
Lord, thank you for the Spirit is there always, will guide me when I ask and that wants to live in and through me to glorify You!
Your humble servant,
Jenni

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