Article December 24, 1932 Issue

"The fruit of the Spirit"

MARGARET MORRISON

In his illuminating letter of counsel and admonition to the Galatians, after vividly detailing the undesirable, deceptive, and destructive works of the flesh, St. Paul reassuringly turns thought to the lovely and altogether desirable "fruit of the Spirit," which he classifies thus: "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance," concluding with the positive statement that "against such there is no law."

Of profound importance are the first three qualities mentioned—"love, joy, peace"—for the reason that they bring our thought into direct relationship with God, Spirit, the one and only source of all love, all joy, and all peace. We are thus prepared to meet our brother men with the gracious qualities that follow—"longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance"—for as we begin with God and man's relation to Him we find our right relationship to mankind.

Do we sometimes find it difficult to meet aright, that is, with long-suffering and gentleness, the seeming shortcomings, the irritating foibles and habits, of our fellow associates in business, in the home, or in society? Do we find that we lack faith and goodness with which to meet and quickly destroy the arguments of sin and suffering that present themselves to us for acceptance—accusations of material sense against our brother? Are we wanting in meekness and temperance when there is need of a shield from the shafts of envy, malice, greed, false appetites and desires? Do we thus find ourselves involved in difficulties, failures, and discontent over our shortcomings, questioning why we do not make more steady progress? May it not be because we have not taken the necessary first step of garnering into consciousness these first mentioned fruits of the Spirit—love, and joy, and peace? When one is so conscious of at-one-ment with Spirit, God, that he reflects in their purity the love and joy and peace of Spirit, he cannot be touched by the irritations or devastating claims of the mortal senses. Joy in good makes loving easy and helps to meet with long-suffering, gentleness, and good humor the temptations of the daily round, and to lift thought into cheer and wholesomeness, so that those with whom one comes into contact shall be encouraged and blessed.

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