Hello, world, hear the song that we're singin', c'mon get happy!
A whole lot of lovin' is what we'll be bringin', we'll make you happy!
Some of you might recognize these as the opening lyrics to "The Partridge Family" TV show. For me (a consummate Gen X'er and someone described by a radio DJ as a "rocker to the bone") this song always prompted me to change the channel…
Today I see a lack of joy in the church. Which is odd considering the fruit of the Spirit is love, JOY, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23). So, Spirit filled Christians ought to have joy… but where is it???
Any theologian, preacher, or teacher worth their salt will point out that there are not "fruits" of the Spirit but "fruit." I once preached Galatians 5:22-23 as a set of steps (love being the first, joy the second and so on) but I believe the fruit of the Spirit is best described as a flower (the seed is love; joy through gentleness are parts of the flower which grow and blossom into self-control).
Back to the lack of joy; if any Christian lacks joy (which I am fairly certain many of us do), then they also lack all the parts of the fruit of the Spirit coming after it (peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and the beautiful blossom that is self-control).
This is gut-check time… If I lack self-control then I must examine my life by the fruit of the Spirit until I get to the "true root" of the problem. Do I also lack gentleness? Faithfulness? Goodness? Kindness? Longsuffering? Peace? Joy? Do I lack love? Another person may have love, joy, peace, and longsuffering but lack the rest of the fruit.
So, if the church lacks joy, we have a long way to go BUT thank God Almighty the fruit is sown in love! Again, this is gut-check time, if you lack joy… do you have the seed of love, planted by the Spirit of God, growing in your life?
The Beatles sang "All you need is love." While I am not about to spiritualize their lyric, I will say they were right… to an extent. It is from love that the fruit of the Spirit will grow. And if you lack any of the fruit, all you need is love in order to make it grow.
We are called to have joy. It (along with the rest of the fruit of the Spirit) is a mark of our salvation. Don't "change the channel" when the devil tries to get you to tune out the fruit of the Spirit. May God's love grow in each of us today and every day. May the blossom of self-control get bigger. May we be people of joy.
