Sitting the Bench

Scripture: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-25 (NKJV)



As a parent there is nothing more miserable than seeing your children hurt, upset or discouraged. My son loves basketball. From the time the boy could walk, literally, he has had a basketball in his hand and a smile on his face. He has participated in other sports, but nothing tickles his fancy like a ball and a hoop. As a 3-year-old he was a gifted basketball player, but as he grew the phenomenon kind of subsided and he really just developed a love for the game.


Now at age 14 he plays for the freshman team, but has realized that he is not a naturally gifted athlete. He has to work really hard to gain favor with the coach and all those neat little nuances of the game that he loves do not come as natural to him as some of the other players. The poetry some athletes make with ease, he has to really study to write. Fortunately for him he likes his teammates and the coach and has had a good time playing freshman ball this year.


Tonight however was the last home game of the season and with friends and relatives watching the game he sat the bench. And sat the bench. And sat the bench. He did not get to play even one minute. I knew he would be disappointed and so was I, but he came straight in and went to bed without one word except good night. I was so sorrowful as I know it made him angry and frustrated. I talked to God about it and asked Him to teach Wyatt something important as I have said many times there are important things you can learn on the bench that you can't
learn in the game.

Then all of a sudden it clicked for me. You can't acquire the fruit of God's spirit playing basketball. You can only get it sitting on the bench!

• Love: Learning to love people (the coach) when you are not treated fairly.
• Joy: Learning to experience joy when you have a sad or angry emotion over your circumstances.
• Peace: Learning to find peace within when you have inner turmoil.
• Longsuffering (patience): Learning to wait on the things you really want and persevering until you see those things happen or even if you do not see those things happen.
• Kindness: Learning to show encouragement and support even when you are discouraged
  and disappointed.
• Goodness: Learning to be respectful to people even when they do not deserve it.
• Faithfulness: Learning to be dependable and supportive even if people are not faithful and trustworthy.
• Gentleness: Learning to not let your anger change the way you treat people.
• Self-control: Learning how to be a good sport even when you are angry, upset, and disappointed and really want to hit, scream, stomp, cry, and act like a spoiled little brat. (no matter how entitled you think you might be)
  

We live in a world that is not fair. This world is full of people who are not faithful and do not treat people nicely. We can't always have our way. People will always disappoint us. Winning and things going perfectly is not always going to happen. In fact more often than not our plans are spoiled by circumstances beyond our control. Somehow in the midst of that we have to display the character of Christ! God help us!

I can clearly see now that as much as I love my children and want to see them happy and successful, God knows better than me what they need. I want to see Wyatt rewarded for
working hard and get to play basketball and win and love it all at the same time, but more than that (much more than that) I want to see him develop the character of Christ. So really he needs
to learn how to sit the bench. It is on the bench where the fruit of God's spirit grows in us. What bench are you sitting on right now? Thank God that He has put you there!

Leslie Stephens
McMinnville, TN

Prayer: Almighty God, you always have our best interest in mind. Teach us how to sit on the bench of difficulty and adversity bearing all things with the fruit of your Spirit. We want to be more like Jesus, Coach us! Amen.

Prayer Tip: If you have not thanked God for whatever you are going through, do that right now. We need to be content and trust that God is at work in all things to bring about our faith and his glory. Praise him when you feel like fussing and crying!

Fresh Buds

Scripture: It had been planted in good soil by abundant water so that it would produce branches, bear fruit and become a splendid vine.’ “Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Will it thrive? Ezekiel 17:8-9

At this time of year I always find myself desperate for signs of the end of cold weather. The first signs usually come as the buttercups start to spring up. But lately after the buttercups have come and wilted I find myself desperately looking at the things I plated last year to insure me that their buds are setting on and they have endured the winter.

There is no doubt that our God looks at us with that same anticipation. He recalls the bitterness of our cold dark trial and wonders if the things he planted in us at that time will spring forth and bloom into displays of his glory or has our vine of faith withered. I personally love that we serve a God of do-overs (I know I say that all the time). He never looks on and thinks why can’t she get it? I mean, for real, she has been down this road 1000 times. Quite the contrary, he sees our potential. And says, “O Boy! That was time 1000, only 1000 more to go until she stops withering and starts blooming.”

My dad is a fickle hobbyist. Every year he takes on a new thing that requires time and energy. This year’s fixation is fruit trees. I had concerns because I know he likes to see results quickly and I reminded him that fruit trees do not always bear in the first season. Sometimes it takes them as many as 5 years to really bear a harvest. O man, that rang in my ears! How many times has God looked on in hopes that I would bear fruit and that my fruit would not be withered? Then he would once again find worthless or nonexistent fruit?

How can we insure a big harvest of good fruit? Well, we can’t. Only God’s Spirit within us bears the fruit in us. We have to keep surrendering to the work of the Spirit within us. I really think it is our unbelief and rebellion that causes the fruit of God’s Spirit to wither within us. Never neglect to get a fresh filling of that fruitful Spirit each day. And do not be discouraged by small buds. We are human and change comes slowly sometimes. God is not tired of waiting on you to be fruitful.

Leslie Stephens
McMinnville, TN

Prayer: O Great Gardener, thank you for being patient with me. I can’t be fruitful without your Spirit flowing within me. Fill me today and each day as I seek to bear the fruit of your Spirit. Amen.

Prayer Tip: Take a time of silent examination of the fruit in your life. Does it display the qualities of Gods’ Spirit? If not ask for that.