Proximity

“But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

Galatians 5:22-23

“Come to the Edge.”

   “No, we will Fall!”

Come to the Edge.”

   “No, we will Fall!”

They came to the edge.

He pushed them, and they Flew.”

Apollinaire

Ever looked at someone you really care about, who has disappointed you and themselves, and said, “You’re Better Than That!?” If so, then you understand the Apostle Paul’s frustration with God’s people in Galatia. You see, God wants us to Grow! God calls us to Grow! God has created us to Grow! Ancient Hebrews used to say that every blade of grass has an angel bending over it, whispering, “Grow! Grow!” Clearly, some things were not meant to grow — a rock, for instance — you can water it, cultivate it, nourish it but still it will not grow. A seed, on the other hand, was meant to grow. Put it in the ground, water it, nourish it, and something happens — change happens, growth happens, life happens!

Last week, in his Sunday message, Pastor Jared taught us that the moment you invited Jesus Christ to be your Savior and Lord, the Holy Spirit, Who is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control, took up residence inside your life. So, the seeds of these characteristics are in You…Right Now! The question is: How do we cause them to grow?

Because, if you’re like me, you’ve tried a thousand times to be more patient, to be less judgmental, to choose joy over anxiety, hope over despair, peace over panic, love over selfishness and faith over doubt.

Recently, I heard someone who went through a difficult illness say, “I’m beginning to experience some things that I’ve mostly always just talked about, but I didn’t know that I mostly only talked about.” Can you relate? I thought I was better than that…but hardship, pain, difficulty revealed a different truth about me…that the Seeds of the Spirit had not matured into a better Me. If you want to know how skin deep my “patience” quotient is, just watch my reaction as Candace grabs the remote and changes the channel when Fernando Tatis Jr. is up to bat when the bases are loaded and the divinely favored Padres are down by two in the bottom of the 9th against the sinister Dodgers. It’s not a pretty sight!

So, what’s the secret to growing in the Spirit? In John 15:5, Jesus said,

“If you remain in me, and I in you, you will bear much Fruit…”

In other words, as Pastor Jared told us last week, “Proximity is the Key!” Think about it. A tree’s job is not to bear fruit. The tree’s job is to abide near water, to extend its roots down deep into good rich soil for nourishment, to expose itself to the light’s vital life-enhancing energy…and then…because the Creator has designed it so…Fruit will Grow on its branches. Like the tree, our job is to abide in close Proximity to Jesus through daily prayer, to extend our spiritual roots down deep into the nourishment of God’s Word every morning, and to expose our hearts and minds to the vital life-enhancing energy of authentic worship every week with fellow believers. And then…over time…as the angel whispers over us, “Grow! Grow!”, we will begin to see the Fruit of Love, of Joy, of Peace...begin to appear on the branches of our life!

After all, You are not a Rock! You Were Born to Grow!

Pastor Harry

‍