The same can be said about our relationships. They have to trust that what they tell me will be confidential. They have to trust that I will provide them with sound counsel. They have to trust that I want to help them. As a therapist my clients have to trust me. He leads us to think like Him and to imitate Him.įaithfulness also has a meaning of trustworthiness, reliability, and being true to one’s word. Through this relationship He has transformed our minds. We are faithful in serving the Lord because He has called us into relationship with Him. Because He is faithful to us, in response, we are faithful to Him. Another meaning is that of simple faith in God. Even if all our possessions are stripped away, the Lord protects our eternal lives. Faithfulness has several meanings in this context. The first fruit in this triad is faithfulness. Let us explore these final fruits focusing on behavior observable by others. However, if we are filled with the Spirit and seek His fruit we will have the opportunity to maintain proper behavior. Do we act in a tantrum or do we approach stressful situations with a calm demeanor? Do we easily lose our faith in the Lord during life changes or do we find security through our hope in Him? These are questions we must all face at one point in time or another. This is behavior that governs the way we approach any given situation. This is an example of the behavior exemplified in the last three fruits of the Spirit. Throughout all the stress and difficulties that came his way, he maintained self-control. He was gentle while correcting the employee. He was faithful in committing his day to the Lord. Even when he had a reason to be angry and could have yelled or thrown something or slammed his fist, he did not. He calls the employee into his office, tells him about the mistake and calmly takes the time to explain the proper way of approaching the task. There is a lot to do, people have called out sick and he discovers his new employee has made a minor mistake. When he arrives at work, it gets stressful very quickly. He asks the Lord to take charge of his life and all the situations he encounters. However, this person takes time to read the Bible and pray in preparation for the day. In a second scenario, a person gets up in the morning and gets ready for work. As the employee leaves his office, he mutters an insult under his breath. He slams his fist on his desk, calls the employee into his office and because of all the stress, yells at the new employee. There is a lot to do, people have called out sick, and he discovers his new employee has made a minor mistake. This person gets dressed, eats breakfast, reads the newspaper, gets in his car and drives to work. Take for example someone who wakes up in the morning and gets ready for work. The way we act is sometimes on display for others to see but we should be aware of our behavior even when we do not think anyone is watching. It seems close to the three fruits we discussed last week but it differs in this way: faithfulness, gentleness and self-control are things that others observe about us through our behavior. This group is categorized as a guide for Christian conduct. These fruits are faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. This week we move into the final three fruits of the Spirit. We called them the habits of social interaction and neighborly concern. The second week we discussed patience, kindness and goodness. We called those fruits the habits of the mind. In the first week we talked about love, joy and peace. In the last two weeks we have taken a closer look at the fruit of the Spirit. The Fruit of the Spirit: Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control 11/15/09 Sermon by Minister Michael Johnson
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