It is so important for Christians to understand the difference between “Gifts” of the Spirit and “Fruits” of the Spirit. We are commanded to not judge another person’s heart and sin, but we ARE commanded to judge a person’s “Fruit”, especially the Fruit of those that we follow.
The Gifts of the Spirit spoken of in 1 Corinthians 12: 8-10 are wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, speaking in tongues, and interpretation of tongues. They have been given to individuals in order to serve the Body of Christ.
They are things that are given by God to each of us, in measure, and therefore no man should boast! They are nothing to be proud of because we didn’t do anything to gain or deserve them.
This is where many people in leadership positions fall into the traps of pride, arrogance, and control. They often think that they’re better than, or more mature than others, when in fact, God is clear that He uses “the least of these” to show His strength. We are all equal but He gives gifts to those that He chooses, for reasons that HE sees fit. No man should boast, even in their measure of faith, because that is a Gift too.
If you have never struggled with your faith, don’t be puffed up or proud. Be humble and grateful. My mother used to tell me “Who is stronger? The person who was given a large measure of faith or the one with a small measure, who has to use their ‘faith muscle’ every single day?”
Knowing that these are gifts and not earned is also one reason why it can be so difficult, for me at least, to trust those in leadership positions, because it’s difficult to trust their motivations. Are they using their gifts in humility and gratitude or are they puffed up with pride, for something they didn’t work for?
It’s also why it’s difficult to BE in a leadership position, because you always have to check your own motivations!
To lead means to serve but knowing why you are serving is important too. Are you doing it for recognition or praise? Are you doing it to make yourself feel better, or are you doing it because you truly care? When you’re doing it for the right reasons, it won’t matter what others say about it, or if they question your intent. You can know that your motivation was to please God, and to help others. Even if it only helps ONE person, it’s enough. It’s not about the numbers. It’s about doing His will.
Are you using the gifts that He has GIVEN you for His purposes in your life?
Fruit on the other hand is the character that God develops in each of us, based on the choices we make in the circumstances in our lives that He allows us to go through.
A scripture that I have clung to in my life has been Romans 5:3 “And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, eternal hope. ”
Most of the people that I respect and admire in my life are those who have grown in character through the tribulations that they have endured. The people that I meet who seem to have no good character, or are “shallow” and judgmental, are those who have never experienced suffering or who haven’t chosen to grow from it.
Love, joy, peace, gentleness, goodness, long suffering, faithfulness, kindness and self control are the Fruits that He wants to develop in us, but we have to choose to let Him. The scripture talks about Tribulation developing Character. This is what that means. As we choose to follow His will, through the tribulations in our life, we allow Him to develop these character traits.
For example, I used to pray for years for God to develop Joy into my character. After Robby’s death I would pray “Dear Heavenly Father, I have love, peace, gentleness, and goodness… I have long suffering down… but I don’t have joy. Please develop in me, the Fruit of joy!”
I’ve always had a positive attitude in my suffering, because of the GIFT of faith, but joy is a completely different animal. It’s not a Gift given by God, but something that we have to work very hard to gain. It’s very difficult to fake joy, but we must make a choice to try. I admit though, I wasn’t my old “fun” self at parties, that’s for sure! I didn’t stop trying though.
Finally, after several years I began to experience true joy again. By “faking it till making it” I was making the daily choice to find joy in ALL things, until one day I wasn’t faking it anymore. These choices are not based on feelings. We have to do it, whether we feel it, and then eventually we will.
We live in a society right now that goes against this teaching by telling us to “be our authentic selves”. In theory that sounds good but spiritually speaking, there are times where we have to take actions that are not based on how we feel! That’s the Fruit of Self Control.
If we all go around just blurting out our feelings, we’re nothing more than adult toddlers, unable to manage our emotions. Our lives will be a rollercoaster of drama and we will be continually putting out fires in our lives.
I’m not saying that we don’t have the right to be real and authentic. I certainly am and have been. That’s what therapy is for and there are times and places to work through those feelings. I just never allowed myself to stay in that headspace for too long. I had to make daily choices, to take actions that went against my feelings, and pray that eventually God would bring my feelings in line with the choice I made.
The same was true for forgiveness. I had to make a choice to forgive others, whether I felt it or not. I once had a mentor tell me to write down the date that I chose to forgive someone, and every day, if I wasn’t feeling that choice, to look at the date again and pray for God to bring my feelings in line with that choice.
If you need to write down your dates of choices, like choosing joy, then do it! If you need to “fake it till you make it” with any of these fruits then do that. Eventually, the longer you do that, it will become natural and you will feel that fruit in your life.
I am so thankful for the Gifts of the Spirit, such as faith, that He has given me because it has been easier for me to develop the Fruits in my life. It was still excruciating at times but my faith gave me just enough strength, one minute at a time sometimes, to overcome.
I’ve watched others walk their journeys without having the Gift of Faith. It’s so much more difficult for them.
I am not “proud” of my faith though, because I know that there wasn’t something that I did to deserve it or acquire. It was a Gift. I feel so much sorrow for those who walk without it, because of the Fruit of Love that He has developed in me for others.
If my large measure of faith was a free gift, then what do I have to be proud of? It’s the person that makes a faith choice every single day and struggles to hold onto it, who we should be proud of!
This is why it’s so important that we don’t find ourselves in judgement of others! God is probably much more proud of His struggling children, than any of us, who don’t struggle with our faith, could ever comprehend! As we judge others, in reality it’s God who is judging us!
Use His Gifts wisely and work to develop His Fruit in yourself!
Comentarios