Galatians 5 (NIV) 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Many Bible verses invite us to change our lives. The verse above is the one you will find on the front wall of the Good Shepherd Worship Center. If you read a few verses before these you will find another list. It outlines some specific things you should not do. Both lists are important to understanding how to live your life as a follower of Jesus Christ. Read both lists, and see if you can find yourself in the list of the sinful nature as well as the list of the fruits of the Spirit.
Recently, I challenged the congregation to choose one of the fruits and to live it out for a week. It’s just as important to avoid something from the other list. Which fruit do you choose? Which aspect of the sinful nature do you need to address?
To study and meditate on the Bible for formation, means to understand the information and to incorporate it in your life. Let’s say for instance, you’ve decided to live out goodness for a week. You’d start by trying to understand goodness. What was the original Greek word? What words do other translations use? One translation uses the word generosity instead of goodness. So you would know that being good has something to do with having a giving nature.
Using a concordance (found online or at a Christian bookstore) you could search for other places the word is used. You might find Mark 10:17-22 where Jesus speaks of good as an attribute of God. Or Matthew 12:9-14 where Jesus says the activity of relieving suffering or offering care is good.
Reflect on the information you’ve learned. How does this form your attempt to be good in the coming week?
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