Fear No Fear

(All scripture from Lexham English Bible, Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software)

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

Galatians 5:22-23

In light of the character of Adonai, which Ruach HaKodesh is, what do the Fruit really tell us? The character of Adonai is what grew them. Ruach HaKodesh grew these Fruit for our use as well as His own. We are part of the family (1 John 3:1), they are part of our inheritance (Ephesians 1:11), and some of the Blessings that we have access to (Ephesians 1:3). In Jesus and through Ruach HaKodesh we have access to all these things. What are they to us and what do they tell us about Him?

Love is a choice. It is not hormonal. It is not passion. It is not romance. Those are chemicals, feelings, or actions. A mindset is what love is. A decision to do a thing, and then ensuring that your behaviour aligns with that decision. It’s not calculated, but it IS a choice. It is the same as choosing to love family members that you do not particularly like. We can interact with them, support them, encourage them, help them out, but deep down they are not the type of person we enjoy. The decision to love them supersedes and pushes down the feeling of dislike to ensure that no behaviour (mental, physical, or emotional – word or deed) toward them is anything but pleasant. It’s a choice, and then we do what we need to so that we act on that choice. We DEAL with feelings, we don’t press them down or avoid them. Liking someone is not a requirement for love. Adonai IS love and He loves ALL OF US – but I don’t think He has personally liked everyone who ever was. But He doesn’t permit it to affect His efforts to have a relationship with us OR inform His actions and attitude toward us. We’re made in His image and likeness. We CAN make the same choice.

This is a big part of why the Fruit is made available to us. We NEED it. It is TOO easy for us to go with a feeling instead of with His point of view. If we look at the world and what’s in it. The way they conduct business. They way they relate to each other. The increasing narrowness of their mindset – while claiming it is ever widening. These are all things that can lead to serious mental and emotional issues – just ask a therapist. The world economy is anything but stable. The political situation can be warm and optimistic, or dystopian and horrific, all depending on where you live and what you’re willing to admit to seeing. But armed with His Fruit, which is based on trust in Adonai, most of that simply disappears.

It isn’t that it stops happening. It is that we stop being connected to it. It is no longer the source of our mental well-being. No longer the source of our emotional health. No longer what we rely on for either our funds or the security of our savings. Everything that we are and everything that we do transforms from various levels of stress to peace and security. Adonai LOVES us. And Adonai enables US to love. When that is true, what hold does the world’s point of view have on us? None.

When Adonai is the one shepherding us, we do NOT decrease in ANY way (Psalm 23). Because He LOVES us. We can draw on that to even out our own emotional platform. Our identity isn’t wrapped up in the clothes we wear, the home we live in, the gadgets we use, the school we attend, the job we have, the prospects for our future, or a single aspect of our human condition. Our identity is wrapped up and lived out of Jesus Himself. He is what makes us US. He enables the daily moment to moment choice to love. To decide to harmonize with HIS view of love. To act like He does. To speak like He does. To think like He does. Ruach HaKodesh is our manual. Our training guide. Our corrector. So that we can walk this out in Jesus – it can’t be done any other way.

We know that the negatives are NOT from Adonai. They aren’t sent by Him to teach us something – although He can use any circumstance to teach us. They aren’t punishment. They aren’t because we forgot to do something. Or because we did do something. They aren’t based on our performance. They aren’t all the devil dancing at our door throwing feces at us. We give him WAY too much credit. Adonai LOVES us, so we know He wants the BEST for us. He leads from peace and goodness. Positive things. Blessings. He corrects with the Word alone (2 Timothy 3:16). Speaking to our spirit. Helping us to understand. He LOVES us. And we can also love. If you hear a whisper that is negative, condemning, or down right mean? It is NOT from Ruach HaKodesh. HE is LOVE.

Daily Affirmation of the Goodness of Elohim: 1 John 4:7-9

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.” I was not impressed when our new co-worker arrived for her first day of work. Personal habits I disliked. Awkward laugh. Competent, but it *seemed* like a hassle. I was glad I wasn’t training her. Of course, we gave her the benefit of the doubt. There was no teasing when she wasn’t there. I don’t remember ever talking trash about her. Might have. But as days turned to weeks turned to months turned to years, we got to know her. Still had personal habits I disliked. Still had an awkward laugh. Competent for sure. The hassle was imagined. We had some stuff in common. It was a good working relationship between us. I thought her boyfriend (later husband) wasn’t a great fit for her (I didn’t like him), but I only saw him for moments a couple of times a week. Whether we know people or don’t know them greatly effects our opinions of them. People we hated the sight of become our spouses. Bullies in high school could be coworkers we like later in life. The human psyche is based around our knowing someone. That isn’t an accident. The more we know Adonai, the better our relationship. The greater things that are put before us. The more blessings we walk in. Not because of performance, but because of relationship. The more we know Him, the more we want to be like Him, so the more we obey Him, and the more we respond to His love for us. It was hardwired into us so that we could be better people and have a better relationship with Him. Because HE wanted one. What a GOOD God!

Your Daily Confession of Elohim’s Goodness:

I taste and see that Yahweh is good; I am blessed because I take refuge in Him.

Psalm 34:8