Have you ever felt that the fruit of the Spirit is lacking in your life? Perhaps one or two of the fruits come pretty easily for you, but there seems to be at least one that appears to have no visible fruit – it’s buried under the dirt of sin, choked by the weeds of neglect, and if it ever does make an appearance, it is unappetizing at best. When we as Christians feel discouraged about the lack of the Spirit’s fruit we see in our lives, there are several possible responses:
I’ve tried my whole life to be faithful, but I keep failing. I can’t read my Bible on a regular basis, I can’t remember a word of the sermon by Tuesday, and when I look over my life, I see missed opportunities everywhere. I guess that faithfulness is just something I’ll never be able to do. (The Discouraged Christian)
Never pray for patience, you just might get it! I prayed for patience once – and God gave me breast cancer. I guess I didn’t really want this fruit of the Spirit, not if I have to suffer through this horrible disease in order to get it. I’ll just let God figure out what to do next time – no need to hasten my demise through praying foolish prayers. (The Fearful Christian)
I know I need the fruit of the Spirit, and I’m pretty good at most of them! I pray for them once in awhile, but don’t see a huge need to pursue them steadfastly. As I go through life, I trust that God will give me what I need when I need it. I’m doing better than most of the other Christians I know, at least! (The Naïve Christian)
Whether you fit into one of these patterns of thinking or not, Kristin Couch’s new book Deep Roots, Good Fruit: Seeing the Fruit of the Spirit through Story & Scripture is sure to be a blessing to you. Warm, inviting, and intensely personal, Deep Roots, Good Fruit is a book to be savored. Writing from her personal experience, Kristin is a wonderful storyteller who makes you feel that the fruit of the Spirit is something to be embraced, sought after, and treasured. As you get to know the people she writes about, you will also be challenged to grow in your own pursuit of these fruits.
Kristin not only blesses us with sweet and poignant stories; she also blesses us with solid, biblical theology. In her section on self-control, she points out how Jesus resisted temptation in the wilderness: Jesus was aware, Spirit-led, prepared, strengthened, and firmly rooted. Kristin concludes:
“Indeed, this passage doesn’t primarily tell us what to do; it celebrates what Jesus has done. Jesus’ self-control and obedience—his triumph over Satan—was done on our behalf. It meant that on the cross, he could offer up his sinless life—his spotless record of righteousness—for our sake. What good news for each one of us, children of God who regularly fail much less intense testing. We are more like the Old Testament children of Israel in the wilderness, who grumbled and disobeyed and fell flat.
“It gets even better. The Son of Man’s ultimate defeat of Satan now allow us, once and for all time, to be indwelled and guided by the same Holy Spirit who filled him, despite our ongoing sins and weaknesses.
“We may be firmly rooted because of Christ’s perfect self-control. His faithfulness and his power are now ours.”
Kristin gives practical suggestions in each chapter on how to implement that particular fruit of the Spirit. In her section on faithfulness, she says: “A faithful commitment to serve your local church’s body will strengthen the entire flock. How? Perhaps with a kind word, or a pat on the back, or even a simple, ‘How are you today?’ followed by a patient, listening ear. May we happily take the time to embark on a conversation reminding one another of the goodness of the sermon message. May we be faithful to show up and live the gospel.”
At times in my life, I have been the discouraged Christian, the fearful Christian, and the naïve Christian. Kristin’s book was an encouragement and blessing to me. Keeping our eyes fixed firmly on Jesus, she encourages us to run the race well. Highly recommended.
