Let’s face
it- fruit has been a tricky thing from the beginning.
Certainly, any
of us who battle with addiction, compulsion or disorder know the power of its
lure.
“...‘the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not
eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.’”
Genesis 2:16-17?
It goes
downhill from there. Check out Genesis
3:1-24; here are a couple of fun highlights...
“‘Thorns also and thistles shall it bring
forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field.’”
Genesis 3:18
“So he drove out the man; and he
placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which
turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.”
Genesis 3:24
But we still
cannot escape fruit, especially, “fruit of the spirit.”
“But the
fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness,
faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
Galatians 5:22-23
Human beings
seem to fail miserably and often at this principle. Instead of practicing Galatians
5:22-23, perhaps, one can propose we come up with our own version
instead.
“But the
fruit of the OTHER Spirit is hate, despair, unease, impatience, cruelty, evil
intent, fear and thoughtless destruction, concerning these there is only law.”
Now we have a problem.
Other Fruit of the Spirit Stuff
I’ve given some thought to this situation,
especially concerning recovery issues.
Indeed, our own finite beliefs/pursuits often
fly in the face of the original spiritual fruit, distorting and causing harm.
Hosea best states, “My people perish for a lack of
knowledge” (Hosea 4:6).
And that’s part of the problem: we don’t know
we’re doing this.
And then “suddenly,” this fruit, in the
vehicle of our addictions and disordered behaviors, leaves tremendous wreckage.
So, it could be worth our while to examine
just what this “other fruit” is, where it comes from and how to apply the “original
recipe” of the fruit of the Spirit to it.
Other Fruit of the Spirit: Hate
We’re off to
a rough start already, aren’t we?
But we do
ourselves a great disservice to avoid this first attribute, as it challenges
the start of the “spiritual fruit” list.
Hate often
gets pain and dysfunction going like nothing else.
It often
comes from a place of being hurt. And there’s no such thing as a human being
who lives unscathed by pain.
“...a wounded spirit
who can bear?”
Proverbs 18:14
And so, our
frequent response to that suffering can be the outward expression of hate.
If we’ve
felt unloved, rejected and abused, we go on the offensive, raging with deep
self-loathing, while simultaneously attempting to self-medicate our injuries
with addictive substances or behaviors. We act out because we feel hopeless to
be loveable or valuable in any real way.
We have
unmet need; we ARE unmet need. And it never seems to get sated.
In response
to my own self-loathing and disordered issues, I’ve searched the scriptures to
locate those things which Elohim actually does
hate.
And here’s newsflash number one: our Creator doesn’t
hate a human being.
Rather,
there are certain behaviors He detests instead...
“These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven
are an abomination unto Him: A Proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed
innocent blood. A heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift
in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth
discord among brethren.”
Proverbs 6:16-19
The Most
High hates the disruptive, harmful behavior we choose to engage in.
“Hatred stirreth up strifes....”
Proverbs 10:12
But,
unfortunately, hate can all too easily become addictive for us addicts.
We pursue it
largely because, on some level, we believe it to be the panacea to our pain. We
believe the serpents lie, “You shall
surely not die.”
And,
usually, we completely block out or actively rebel against a significant,
humbling truth, even regarding such a “formidable force” as us: the power of
Divine love. Our counterfeit fruit is confronted.
“Hatred
stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.”
Proverbs 10:12
Divine Fruit: Love
“...‘Yea, I have loved thee with an
everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.’”
Jeremiah 31:3
This love often comes to challenge our new love, our
addiction.
We
feel much more comfortable with hate, Hate doesn’t ask us to change; hate asks
that we keep hating- and using that in our addiction.
“Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not;
charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly,
seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in
iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things,
hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether
there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall
cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and
we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is
in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I
understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put
away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to
face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And
now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is
charity.
1 Corinthians 13:4-13
Hate
certainly doesn’t ask us to love ourselves.
“Love your neighbor as yourself…”
Leviticus 19:18; Mark 12:31
And there lies a gigantic roadblock: our
self-loathing.
This reality, therefore, often produces a
sense of despair, being ill-at-ease.
Other Fruit of the Spirit: Despair
“My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart
maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my
soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.”
Jeremiah 4:19
When we are either ignorant or rejecting of unconditional
love, individually, personally, applicable to each of us, this anxious mindset
can settle in our spirits.
Again, going back to Genesis and
our old familiar serpent, never underestimate the power of doubt...
“Now the serpent was
more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, ‘Yea, hath
God said, ‘Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?’”
Genesis 3:1
Uh- oh...
Doubt, a disturbance of the peace, a question
mark...
And then, an outright lie, followed by a
justifying explanation...
“And the serpent said unto the woman, ‘Ye shall not surely
die. For God doth
know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye
shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.’”
Genesis 3:4-5
We’re at a crossroads. Which argument
do we believe?
Well, we know the Genesis answer to that
question, don’t we?
“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for
food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make
one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her
husband with her; and he did eat.”
Verse Six
Yeah.
And, after a ridiculous hide and seek
game (Genesis 3:7-10), their Creator confronts them both on the
choice to disbelieve Him...
“...‘Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of
the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?’”
Genesis 3:11
What next follows is a cute little
blame game (Genesis 3:12-13).
(So much for taking responsibility for
one’s actions).
Anyway, what ultimately results is
consequence, fully detailed in Genesis 3:14-19.
It’s not uplifting.
What especially drew my attention was verse
seventeen...
“‘...in sorrow shalt
thou eat of it all the days of thy life.’”
Genesis 3:17
It’s not just about the negative results
from breaking the rules; it goes deeper.
Sorrow, emanating from doubt, has tentacles
which can wrap around our lives and, in the process, steal our joy and peace.
Those may not appear like big things at face value.
But when they are gone, they are mostly
certainly missed.
Divine Fruit: Joy
But there is
hope for us, even in spite of our doubt and sorrow...
“And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart
shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.”
Joy is tailor-made
for us. The question, however, remains: will we accept and apply it to our
lives?
“Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye
shall receive, that your joy may be full.”
John 16:24
Our answer to
that question is our fruit. What will
it be?
Yet, often times,
our fruit answer involves further unsettling anxiety- and it’s not because of
Divine will.
“For God is not the author of confusion, but of
peace...”
1 Corinthians 14:33
Rather,
it’s because we have trouble with the waiting process...
Other Fruit of the Spirit: Impatience
Impatience creates damaging outcomes because
we are rash, thoughtless, selfish, fearful and ignorant of our actions. We are
in a fleeting, temporary moment, not considering future consequences.
And, because of that state, we often tend to
scrap long-term goals in favor of short-term, instantaneous gratification.
“He that hath
no rule over his own spirit is like
a city that is broken down, and without walls.”
Proverbs 25:28
That is a gigantic component to addiction’s
payoff: “getting our fix.”
Yet, that fix, no matter how good in feels in
the here and now, ultimately, has its negative consequences...
“...like a
city that is broken down, and without walls.”
Proverbs 25:28
Okay, let’s just get right to the fruity point
of things: patience is not easy.
It requires we say no to ourselves, even, in
some cases, our perceived “needs.”
Patience involves suffering, discomfort and
pain.
Divine Fruit: Patience
Scripture, however, does convey the merit in
practicing the principle...
“In your patience possess ye your
souls.”
Luke 21:19
“For whatsoever things were written aforetime
were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the
scriptures might have hope.”
Romans 15:4
So, “patience and comfort of the scriptures”
produces hope? Reward enough for our human condition?
C’mon, you and I know it’s just not that
simple...or gratifying.
Often, we cannot outlast the suffering in the
waiting; we cave in the midst of delayed gratification. Our addiction fills our
mind and eye space until it’s all we can see, feel, think and prioritize.
And this can, sometimes lead us to yet another
unsavory “other fruit...”
Other Fruit of the Spirit: Cruelty
In our frustration, experiencing life’s
imperfection, we can often become ruthless. All that matters is our addiction. All
that must exist and remain is our addiction.
“Their feet run to
evil, and they are swift to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of
iniquity; desolation and destruction are in their highways.”
“Thou shalt not kill.”
And here’s where a slippery slope lies; we
will do anything and everything for it. We will lie, steal, cheat, kill,
hurt and destroy. That is our response when anything or anyone dares to
challenge our pursuit, practice or possession of our addiction.
This is where loved ones are sacrificed on its
altar. Marriages, families, careers, health, dignity, finances and free
criminal histories are just a few offerings given.
Divine Fruit: Gentleness
Yet Elohim doesn’t
demand this violent expression in His love; there is gentleness instead.
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I
am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my
yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Matthew
11:29-30
However,
many of us have not had gentle experiences. Abuse, neglect and dysfunction have,
perhaps, made us grow accustomed to chaos, danger and cruelty.
Therefore,
in our frustration and pain, we can find ourselves resorting to abrupt,
reactionary responses which attempt to meet our needs by force.
But love’s
gentleness does not force its agenda;
rather, it allows for Divine Creation’s to respond accordingly...
“Love is
patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not
arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or
resentful.”
1 Corinthians
13:4-5
There is
gentleness at the cornerstone of love. That is the standard we are to execute.
And yes, sadly, we fall woefully short in doing so.
“For all
have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
Romans
3:23
Other Fruit of the Spirit: Evil intent
Furthermore, if we refuse love’s gentleness
from the Most High, if we insist on following cruelty’s path, it’s not long
before its twin fruit, evil intent, joins the madness.
“‘And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts
against his neighbor; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I
hate,’ saith the LORD.”
Zechariah 8:17
Lines blur of where cruelty ends and this evil
intent fruit begins. Often, for the entrenched addict, the only line of
thinking is Machiavellian: “the ends justifies the means.”
So, bring on whatever means to achieve the
all-important fix’s end.
And before we underestimate the consequences
of our actions, let’s just take a look at how the Most High feels about our
insatiable attitude...
“The Lord
saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention
of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that he had made man on
the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the
face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens,
for I am sorry that I have made them.”
Yeah, but that was a long time ago. We’re past
that point, right? Right?
Even though these sentiments existed in the
ancient book of Genesis, it still doesn’t change how Elohim is
grieved by our treachery. And ignorance only goes so far in excusing us. The
damage still happens, whether or not we realize it.
Yet, there is still hope, should we choose to
embrace it.
“I had fainted, unless I had
believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.”
Divine Fruit: Goodness
Psalms
23:6 is the great equalizer, displaying the pervasiveness
of this fruit of the Spirit.
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow
me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”
It’s
not dependent upon us. If Divine goodness hinged upon our merit, it’d be
hopeless for everyone concerned.
After all...
“As it is written, ‘There is none righteous, no, not one.
There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They
are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is
none that doeth good, no, not one.’”
Romans 3:10-12
“...They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one
who does good.”
Psalm 14:1
So...yeah... not optimistic here.
Yet, The Most High is good, even while
simultaneously being realistic about our human nature.
Explanation? Divine Goodness trumps what
should only be condemned.
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down
from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of
turning.”
Exhibit A: the Savior...
“For God sent not his
Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might
be saved.”
John 3:17
Ideally, this should provide irrefutable
evidence to be appreciative, loving human beings who respond correctly.
But, come on. We know the reality.
“The heart is deceitful above all
things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
Jeremiah 17:9
Part of the human experience involves the
heart, prone to wickedness. And often, it’s driven by fear.
Other Fruit of the Spirit: Fear
For the addict especially, fear is primal.
“Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after
those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be
shaken.”
Luke 21:26
We’re afraid of not being able to obliterate our
pain.
We’re afraid of not being able to escape.
We’re afraid of discomfort.
We’re afraid of reality.
We’re afraid of seeing who we really are and what
we have really done with- and to- ourselves.
“The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his
trust in the LORD shall be safe.”
Proverbs 29:25
And so, eventually, our fear creates a snare
and a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Like Job once stated: “What I fear has
come upon me” (Job 3:25).
Adding more complication, we fear letting go
of our idol, the one thing we can count on in our lives to soothe, embolden and
keep us functioning.
Where would we be if we dare let that thing
go?
Our fear of the answer- while refusing to
never face the answer- runs the show.
And here is where we are confronted with the
exact nature of fear: our very real enemy.
“Be
sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion,
walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”
“The thief cometh not, but for
to steal, and to kill, and to destroy...”
John 10:10
And, with this enemy, two things are glaringly
missing: love and faith...
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear:
because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love
him, because he first loved us.”
1 John 4:18-19
“For God hath not
given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
2 Timothy 1:7
Divine Fruit:
Faith
We can easily answer the question, what is the
opposite of hate? Love.
But what about the question, what is the
opposite of fear? Its answer is Faith.
And we do possess faith.
"For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think
of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober
judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you."
“Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be
able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”
Ephesians 6:16
Faith is not passive. First, it emanates from Elohim’s
love.
“We love him, because he first loved us.”
1 John 4:19
Next, this faith-filled love is empowering.
“...
I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more
abundantly.”
John 10:10
But, are we taught that? Are we taught fear or positive
faith?
What we learn and how
we’re taught can often translate into our responses to life issues, including
faith and recovery matters. Ignorance, entrenched beliefs and harmful
traditions all play a role in our own response, displayed in the last fruit.
Fruit of the Other Spirit: Reckless
Destruction
“For what I am doing,
I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice: but what I
hate, that I do.”
Romans 7:15
When we run low on
things like love, positive faith, patience and goodness, recklessness often
occurs.
“What’s the point?”
We ask ourselves the
question, convinced we no longer care about our lives. We may even run
full-throttle with our death wishes. We start to take greater chances with our
families, our careers and anything else which many seem “precious” to us.
“Where there is
no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.”
Proverbs 29:18
Yet, our spirits don’t
say “die” easily; the will to live is strong.
And so, we face a
dilemma: confusion in our reckless state, emanating from the opposing side...
“The
thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy...”
John 10:10
And before we run amuck
with the reliable excuse of “the devil made me do it,” we do need to
acknowledge that our addictions are a spiritual battle, one which often has us
choose our ignorance and faulty belief systems over higher, healthier choices.
We don’t have a clue just how damaging this can be.
After all, why, in the
middle of being nailed to a cross, humiliated and tortured, did our Savior utter
this plea?
“...‘Father, forgive them; for they know not
what they do.’”
Luke 23:34
We don’t know what
we’re doing.
Therefore, in that
frightening uncertainty, we act out. There’s pain and fear in our reckless
actions; there’s desperation, hatred, resentment and vengeance also.
It’s an attempt to gain
some kind of rescue. Suicide, for instance, is often couched in the phrase, “a
cry for help.”
“...‘Lord, help me.’”
Matthew 15:25
But, we often focus on
the “things” to make and keep us safe. And sometimes, that even includes
destruction and chaos. We may view it as “power” instead of something harmful;
we believe we’re finally taking control.
However, often, nothing
could be further from the truth.
Therefore, we are in
dire need of the next fruit of Elohim’s Spirit...
“...Meekness,
temperance...”
Galatians 5:23
Divine Fruit: Self-control
This last fruit speaks
to both our willingness and our capability. Whether or not we feel it, we do
have the capacity for self-control. I’m not talking about going against the
Twelve Steps here. Yes, we are powerless, in our addiction, in and of
ourselves. But, with The Most High, “all
things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). This, therefore, refers
to the attitude which cooperates with the decision to “make another choice,”
one which is spirit led.
“Let all things be
done decently and in order.”
1 Corinthians 14:40
I know. It’s easier
said than practiced.
Nevertheless, we are
called to implement the principle. Each of us is given lessons in controlling
our tempers, our appetites and our feelings.
And this is at the
epicenter of addiction. To challenge the notion that yes, we can choose
something else besides addiction is a scary thought.
“You don’t know what kind of day I’ve had.”
“You don’t
know how hard it is to stay sober.”
Valid perspectives.
Self-control never tells us it will be easy and painless.
And this is where
taking care of ourselves comes into play; it’s a necessary element to
self-control.
The Stewardship Principle
Stewardship is all over
the Twelve Steps.
You can call it
accountability or taking responsibility.
But, it still resonates
with the same conclusion: we need to do things differently. Our way is not
working. Hence, the wakeup call to try something else.
And, that “something
else” involves the loving self-care.
“This is my commandment, That ye love one
another, as I have loved you.”
John 15:12
Before we eye roll at
the cliché love answer, let’s take a look at exactly what that love could mean
for us. Self-control and stewardship are rooted in the attribute.
If we revisit John 15:12, we are asked a question:
do we love- or hate- ourselves?
"‘ ...love your
neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.’”
Leviticus 19:18
Yes, the potential for cliché
is here; we are filled with self-loathing. That’s why we engage in our
addiction.
But it is cliché for a
reason; there is truth there.
Again, loving self-care
and refusal to choose self-destruction are crucial to self-control.
“For no man ever yet hated his
own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church. Because we are members
of his body.”
Ephesians 5:29-30
We have to ask
ourselves if what we are doing is best for our lives.
“All
things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are
lawful for me, but all things edify not.”
1
Corinthians 10:23
For many of us, this is
a revolutionary concept.
And self-control asks
us to lovingly choose to embrace order instead of chaos, health instead of
demanding craving, the reality of God’s love, extending to us instead of our
self-focused hatred.
“We love him, because he first loved us.”
1 John 4:19
We are encouraged to see
ourselves as possessing a valuable ripple effect, either positive or negative.
And, since we are made
in the Most High’s Image (Genesis
1:26-27), this resemblance showcases a Divine, real and orderly purpose
to all things...
“Let all things be
done decently and in order.”
1 Corinthians 14:40
Our cooperation with
self-control embodies good stewardship: of our lives, our health, other people and
our relationship with the Most High God.
None of these things
are trivial. All of it propels us to profitable foundation.
And, this last
attribute underscores the effectiveness of all the other fruits as well.
Love takes
self-control...
Joy takes
self-control...
Peace takes
self-control...
Longsuffering
(Patience) takes self-control...
Gentleness takes
self-control...
Goodness takes
self-control...
Faith takes
self-control...
Meekness and
temperance take self-control...
Couldn’t it be argued this is the essence of 3 John 1:2?
“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper
and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”
And it, perhaps, changes the Genesis scripture “be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28) a bit, doesn’t
it?
What if, concerning that famous scripture, we make a shift
in our thinking, from reproducing the species to reproducing the Divine fruit
of the Spirit?
What if we were to ask for only this fruit, saying no to
and silencing the other fruit’s impact in our lives?
What if?
The challenge lies within each of us. Do we choose life
more abundant (John 10:10) or the box, labeled “other?”
It is one or the other; results depend on the box we
check.
Copyright © 2021 by
Sheryle Cruse
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