Christ, our Passover has been sacrificed for us, so let us celebrate the Feast, not with the old leaven of malice and wickedness but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
1 Corinthians 5:8
Take a Moment to Ponder
Easter is here and it is here for 50 days, indeed for a lifetime. What does the average Christian understand as the significance of this Festival? That is the question for which the Church must engage in constant teaching. The Apostle Paul says the answer is to keep the feast of the Fruit of the Holy Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and Self-control. Somehow, we find it difficult to believe it is that simple, there must be something else that is involved and so we seek to subject ourselves to being slaves to day of worship, dietary laws, speaking in tongues, etc,. The Apostle Paul and subsequent Christians warn us about giving up our freedom in Christ for slavery to rituals and regulations. Likewise we must not give up our freedom in Christ and return to the old ways of corruption, which include indulgence in sexual immorality and greed which is a form of idolatry. So instead, let us be about promoting this freedom in Christ with the rest of the world, by practising to excel in the Fruit of the Spirit as an individual and as a community, so that we can be more intentional in recruiting others to experience the freedom that comes with being a disciple of Christ.
Practical action
Find an Easter discipline that allows you to practice two qualities of the Fruit of the Spirit this Easter Season. It may be setting aside a day in which you carry out random acts of kindness or a day in which you spend time journaling your blessing for that particular week. Practice viewing these spiritual qualities as your most prized possessions. Do a weekly evaluation of yourself and that of your family with respect to how much growth you are experiencing in these qualities. Learn to look out for how these qualities are at the heart of life.
A Moment in Prayer
Dear Lord God, by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, the way of abundant life has been opened to us. Give us the heart of faith to believe that in them is salvation and the eyes of faith to see their transforming power in the world. Give us the courage to resist the devil’s attempt to persuade us to return to the works of the flesh and to the old way of living. Grant us enough victories in this way of life to keep persevering, especially when difficulties arise and make us able to share this perspective with others, in the name of Jesus and by the power of the Spirit. Amen
Contributed by: Rev. Michael Allen