October: Thoughts from Huw
Dear Friends
Galations 5:22
During this Harvest season I have been pondering on the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
If we are guided by the Holy Spirit our lives will be characterised by such things as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and self control.
Love; Paul rightly puts this first. Jesus says everyone will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.
Joy; is the fruit of love. Jesus says if you keep my commandments you will remain in my love. Joy is an overflowing heart. The amount of joy we have is in proportion to the amount of love we share with others.
Peace; was Jesus’ farewell gift to his apostles. At the last supper he said ‘Peace I leave with you; my own peace I give you. A peace which the world cann’t give, this is my gift to you.’ These are some of the loveliest words in the Gospel. We trust in God and can have peace in the midst of turmoil, conflict and worry.
Patience; is not easy to practice. It involves the ability to wait, to trust and to endure. We live in an age that demands instant results. But waiting is part of life. The earth has to wait for rain. The farmer has to wait for the spring. Many things in life are ruined through being rushed.
Kindness; it is hard to overstate the value of kindness. It is the most powerful of gifts to give to others.
Faithfulness; is one of the greatest and most necessary things in life. Our task as a disciple of Jesus is not to be successful, only faithful.
Gentleness; is often seen as a form of weakness. Nothing is as strong as gentleness. If you love, you are gentle.
Self - control; of them all, this is probably the hardest. It means being master of oneself. This is very difficult at times.
The more we try and ‘walk in the Spirit’, the more fruitful our lives will become. Not easy at all, but we can only try and pray to God for help and strength.
With good wishes
Huw