In his letters Paul gives out various instructions and advice to the growing churches - coping with the practicalities of messy real life. Yet he also has in mind a better way: living by the Spirit. Allowing the Spirit to develop God's own nature in us will transcend and surpass any list of instructions, making rules and formulations redundant.
Galatians 5 gives us a list of nine:
Love -
the
overflowing of yourself for one another
Joy – a delight in life that
comes from God irrespective of circumstances
Peace – a calmness, again from
God irrespective of circumstances
Patience – waiting in
expectant hope
Kindness – offering a better
way, a new opportunity, even if not deserved
Goodness – generosity, an
outpouring from God in your life
Faithfulness – sticking with
it, even in the difficulty and the bad
Gentleness – a quiet,
considerate humility
Self-control – strength in
control, able to master competing forces on your life
Note how each of these flows from God. Furthermore many of these flow out to other people. They will all inevitably affect our relationships with others. As such they are all key attributes for mission, whether actively by the way we behave towards others, or passively by what people will observe in our lives.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment