At Russell Road Church I have been teaching on the fruit of God’s spirit that is found in Galatians Chapter 5. We have been looking at the fruit of self-control, which is the outcome of being connected with the holy spirit. Self-control is not self-effort. It is not something you have to muster up in your own strength. Self-control is the fruit of your relationship with God. You have to make the decision whether or not to do your will (self-effort) or God’s will (self-control) because he is your creator. Choosing to do God’s will produces love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, self-control. Against such there is no law. When I choose his will, self-control, I am being governed by His Holy Spirit. But when I choose my will I am being governed by the flesh (carnality).
In Romans 8:6 it says to be carnally minded is death (separated from God), but to be spiritually minded is life and peace (connection with God). So the state of my mind is determined by what is influencing it or what it is being governed by. A mind that is governed by the flesh (carnality) is a mind that is governed by feelings, impulses, appetites and emotions. We are supposed to live with feelings but not be governed by them. God intends for our feelings to be indicators not dictators. Feelings are a great service to us but should never be masters over us. Peace doesn’t come because we have become christians, we can only have peace because we have chosen to do His will and renewed our minds to His word. That will impact how we respond to people, circumstances and situations that we face in this world. My response is my responsibility.
Jesus tells us in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Jesus wants us to have a revelation of what we can expect in this world. When you govern your life by what He says you will have peace-but in this world you will have tribulation (trouble). Even in this world He says be of good cheer (joy) for He has overcome the world that is imperfect with imperfect people. Because people are imperfect those relationships can and will infect you. We are going to have tribulation because we are going to be victims of somebody else’s dysfunction. We are going to deal with insecure and emotionally unhealthy co-workers and supervisors. We are going to deal with competitive siblings, and we are going to deal with territorial and hypersensitive church members. In this world you will have tribulation because you are dealing with imperfect people. You will also have tribulation because you are imperfect. Because we’re imperfect, we will at times make wrong decisions that will infect seasons in our lives and we will have to live through some troublesome seasons.
In Romans 12:2 it says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” As we renew our minds to what God says, we will prove His will to the world. That is what He is asking of us and what I believe the world is wanting to see from us. The only way of proving God’s will is by the renewing of our minds as we grow. In this we experience true peace and joy and are becoming the highest versions of who God called us to be, while proving His will: the kingdom come Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven.
In closing, I grew up in Huber Heights, Ohio. At the time it was one of the largest communities of brick homes in the US. Right outside our front door, to the right, my dad grew vegetables. Behind our shrubs, by the door, was a squash plant that had a vine that traveled down the front of the house through the tomatoes, radishes, cucumbers and beans. That squash vine turned the corner down the side of our house through the lettuce, peppers and melons. At the end of the side of the house, through all those different vegetables, laid a big squash! Why am I telling you this? Because no matter what environment, circumstances or situations you go through in this world, you can become all God has created you to be by staying connected to him and fulfilling his will.
The writer is the senior pastor at Russell Road Church, Sidney.
