So what do you know about the word “discipline”? When I was a child it was undeniably code for punishment. If a parent mentioned needing to discipline a child, that child was quickly off for a favorite hiding spot!
Training is a more accurate interpretation of the word. Training may include unpleasant outcomes or consequences, but pain is not inherently part of training. Consider becoming adept in the discipline of a particular style of cooking… study and observe, practice, then repeat until proficiency is attained. With most areas of study or skill development there is always something more to be learned or perfected, and so it is with the disciple, the believer attempting to learn and apply more of Christ’s teaching and example.
With my previous mention of being one of the children in an altercation and then the parent tasked with sorting out the children’s altercations, I also noted something of a new territory exposed in my heart due to these exercises. As I had said countless times to children small and large, I found I was telling myself, “Yes, that was definitely a wrong thing done to you, but perhaps your response was not what it should be either.”
Building on that foundational passage of Titus 2:11-12, where we saw the instruction to see the sinful and root it out, deny it a place, and instead focus on the godly options, we have added study of Galatians 5:22-23: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. This passage tells us we have free and ready access to an unlimited supply of all that is necessary to successfully, in a God-honoring way, navigate the challenges of life. The holy fruit, supplied by the Holy Spirit and as near as our next breath, is truly sufficient for our every relational need.
Learning of that fruit and the depth and breadth of its potency was astonishing to me. I thought I knew what love is. But this Holy Spirit-supplied love is not what I’ve been calling love at all. My idea of love was decent; it was good… love shares, it overlooks faults and is kind, but it has limits. Its limits are vague and may vary from day to day, or even hour by hour, but it very definitely has limits, and to push to exceed those limits will result in cessation of supply. Total shut down. Not so with the Holy Spirit’s supply of love. His love is strong, unconditional, and noble. And remarkably, incredibly, it has no limits. According to 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 this love has no limits to its patience, kindness, ability to endure and bear up under stress. No limits to its humility, or ability to see the good in others, among many other wonderful qualities.
And that’s just the tiniest slice of it. There’s more to that love than can be said here. As I learn more of it, meditate on it, yield my self-centered heart and mind to it, I am continually astonished at its vitality and perfection.
Then there’s joy… abiding, true contentment totally unaffected by my circumstances, and peace… peace with God, thanks to the sacrifice of Christ, and the peace of God, that guards my heart as a well-armed, ever alert soldier.
Patience that pushes away the angry outburst when another provokes. Kindness that is quick to do that truly useful thing for someone else. Goodness, pure and sincere, as seen in Christ himself.
Faithfulness that has the tenacity to never give up. Gentleness that would rather endure affliction than cause it. Self-control, which really means to yield control of self to the Holy Spirit’s command. Holy Spirit control of a disciple’s heart, mind, actions results in only good attitudes, thoughts, deeds.
In just a few minutes’ consideration of this holy fruit its potential effect on our relationships is mind-numbing. Imagine the change in your perspective of others in your world if you remembered this remarkable fruit was yours to share with no fear of running out! That irritating roommate, the incompetent coworker, overbearing employer, grouchy neighbor, or even the incessantly demanding child can be addressed with any or all aspects of the holy fruit to blessed success! Irritations, incompetence and the rest will not necessarily vanish, but just imagine what can happen to you and me as we yield to and share true, divinely produced and supplied love, joy, peace, patience and all the glorious others.
With study, observation, and practice, the work of disciplining my heart and mind to quickly access this holy fruit instead of my own paltry resources is my primary aim these days. Though there is an element of book work in this, the real transformative work happens when I walk away from The Book, and enter the arena where the opportunities to truly practice await. My arena today may be the four walls of my own home, but even there I can find unexpected challenge and must Be Alert! and quick to choose well. May we do just that and share the holy fruit with all we meet!
moonbeamsandsalt 