These are hard words. They are easy to say, and easy to ask for, but much harder to give—at least sometimes. I am convinced that, much of the time, I am just about the most easygoing person in the world. At least, I feel like the most easygoing person I know. But other times, in different circumstances, I feel like I do not have an ounce of patience or a glimmer of mercy. It is as if I have run out that day, and I just do not feel like having any more of those wonderful emotions for anyone—no matter how unsuspecting and how undeserving my next victim may be.
But maybe that is the problem. If our patience, mercy, longsuffering and forgiveness are only human emotions, coming from our human spiritual resources, we will surely run out. Human patience falls short. Godly patience does not. Human mercy fails. God's does not. It is not as if we never have mercy, patience or other admirable traits. It is just that ours tend to run thin at times.
Every one of the fruits of God's Spirit would also be considered an admirable human personality trait. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Galatians 5:22–23).
Sometimes we feel like being good, kind and gentle. But sometimes we do not. And therein lies the difference between us and God, between the human spirit and God's Spirit.
Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, wrote, "I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish" (Galatians 5:16–17). The word "lust" here embodies the range of human wants, feelings and priorities. Paul warned against youthful desires (2 Timothy 2:22), the desire to be rich (1 Timothy 6:9) and desire for new doctrine (2 Timothy 4:3). In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul warned against "deceitful lusts" (Ephesians 4:22).
In short, Paul was dealing with our human proclivity to take on godly characteristics "part-time." Paul acknowledged that he fell prey to that same human problem and had to battle to overcome his flesh (Romans 7:14– 25). Christ warned us that we face the same battle, saying, "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41).
Is the goodness of our human spirit "good enough"? Are our "good days" good enough for God? Is our "occasional joy" okay with God? Does God "understand" that we sometimes just do not feel very kind or gentle? Are we content with occasional lapses of self-control, as long as we are usually pretty good—better than the average guy, anyway. Or are we, in fact, only as godly as our least merciful moment?
It need not be that way. Paul told the brethren at Philippi, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:5). Let this mind—this whole, complete, constant way of thinking as God thinks—be in you. Let us never have a "least merciful moment."
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The above is adapted from one of the many commentaries, discussing vital topics facing our world, available at the www.lcg.org and www.tomorrowsworld.org Web sites.