In the novel Don’t Cry for Me, Isaac’s dying father, Jacob, writes to his son. In telling his life story, Jacob remembers when his grandmother died. His grandfather, somber and seemingly angry, did not shed a tear at the funeral. He did, however, dourly warn the gathered mourners that judgment was coming, and they’d best be ready. A hard life rendered the man dour, somber, and very angry. I don’t blame the character, though I want to jump into the story and tell him that faith in the Lord Jesus is more than soberly preparing for judgment.
Paul writes, “The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness” (Galatians 5:22). Joy! ‘Fruit of the Spirit’ refers to what God produces in the life of someone full of God’s Spirit. We don’t work on being loving or joyful so much as we get to know God better. We work on aligning our lives with God’s ways and God’s purposes. READ MORE
