The Fruit of the Spirit Part 6

How do we know that Jesus, Immanuel (God-with-us), is really with us? Paul answers that question beautifully in his letter to the disciples in Galatia who must have been wondering the same thing. Paul writes: the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). When we experience any of these gifts in our daily lives, we know that Christ’s Spirit is at work.

The sixth fruit of the Spirit is generosity. All of these gifts of Christ’s living Spirit are a blessing but generosity holds great potential for warming our hearts and deepening our faith. In his correspondence to the disciples in Corinth, Paul advises: Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. We can all attest to how good it feels to be generous. Being generous can feel like the reason we are here. That’s because being generous, and even giving sacrificially, is a way to show our trust in God’s providence and to embrace our role as stewards of God’s gifts.

As Holy Week approaches, consider the depth of Jesus’ generosity. On Palm Sunday, Jesus entered the Holy City as a servant not a conqueror. At his last supper, Jesus broke bread with one who would betray, one who would deny, and the others who would abandon Jesus in his hour of need. In prayerful anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane over the inevitable next steps of arrest, suffering and execution, Jesus nonetheless followed God’s will for meeting evil with good, and death with the hope of new life. When nailed to a Roman cross, Jesus spoke words of forgiveness not wrath.

Jesus set the example. Jesus did not hold back. Jesus gave his all to God and his mission of self-giving love and reconciliation. In grateful response let us be cheerful givers.

Yours in Christ,

Marc