Fruits of the Spirit
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23
Love: (agape)
What is love? It is a word that is difficult to define. It encompasses affection and benevolence, but so much more. Listed as the first of the fruits of the Spirit, it is the foundation upon which all the other fruits are built.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. I Corinthians 13:4-7.
Love sees another in their affliction and has compassion. It gives preference to the other person’s needs. Love does not envy or boast but wishes the best for the other person. Love celebrates the accomplishments of others, cries with them in their sorrow, holds them in their grief, and speaks hard truths.
When I think about love, I ask myself, how do I live in a way that displays the deepest kind of love that can only come from Christ? As I sit at the feet of Jesus, I look into His eyes and try to see the world as He did. He opened his arms wide to every soul He encountered. Thieves, drunkards, liars, adulterers, fornicators, cheaters, murderers, the self-righteous…He did not condone their sin, but told them to believe and repent. Then He went to a cross, where He offered himself as a sacrifice so that they could be forgiven and redeemed from their sin.
The love of Christ is the essence of the gospel. It sets us free from our own evil desires and brings us back into a relationship with the Creator. This freedom brings peace from striving to live up to the false standards and expectations of the world. Having this peace sets our minds at ease and makes it easier to live from a place of love and compassion. The love of Jesus wipes away all bitterness and wrath from our hearts and transforms us.
Love does not fail. I Corinthians 13:8