SAMANTHA ELLEY reflects on what it means to live for Jesus – despite the challenging times we may find ourselves in…
Northern Rivers, New South Wales, Australia
Coronavirus-related signs on a window in a Canberra cafe. PICTURE: Daniel Morton/Unsplash
“But the Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self-control. There is no law against such things as these.” – Galatians 5:22-23
It seems every time we turn the TV on or watch the news, there are new rules to follow. Stay-at-home orders, the need to get tested or vaccinated in a COVID-19 riddled world and, of course, the need to wear a mask and keep our distance from each other.
As hard as these rules are at the moment, we know they are to keep the population safe, especially the most vulnerable in our communities, from a disease that has proven it is out to kill and destroy.
“As a Christian, I’ve discovered truly what unconditional love means every time I contemplate the sacrifice Jesus made for us when He died on the cross. This fills me with joy and peace to know my Saviour gave His all for me. I am learning to be patient and show kindness and goodness to those who haven’t experienced this revelation yet and I also try to practice faithfulness, humility and self-control in my Christian walk.”
Some 70 years ago, a nation of people were told to stay within government-sanctioned ghettoes where they were fed minimal rations and not allowed to work to support their families. Eventually, they were carted off to the death camps that had names such as Auschwitz and Treblinka. Many did not return.
Sometimes the laws of our land are depressing and hard to bear, especially when they can affect our lives in very personal ways, even to death. Whether good or bad laws, these rules can cause us to be bitter, rebellious and live lives contrary to the good of others around us or ourselves.
I love that the Spirit of Jesus shows us how to live ‘outside’ the law. Not to break the law of the land, but to live in such a fashion that no law can stop us from sharing what He has given us in our lives.
As a Christian, I’ve discovered truly what unconditional love means every time I contemplate the sacrifice Jesus made for us when He died on the cross. This fills me with joy and peace to know my Saviour gave His all for me. I am learning to be patient and show kindness and goodness to those who haven’t experienced this revelation yet and I also try to practice faithfulness, humility and self-control in my Christian walk.
There is no limit to living with the Spirit and allowing Him to share these gifts He produces. I will fail at times, as my humanness tends to trip me up quite a bit, but I know God’s grace means I pick myself up, dust myself off and put my trust in Him again. There is no expiry date to the ‘membership’ we have in Christ Jesus and there is no law or limit to how much love, joy, peace, patience and all the other fruits of the Spirit that we can produce, regardless of which laws of the land you live under.
Corrie ten Boom was a Dutch woman who suffered at the hands of Nazi Germany when she was imprisoned for protecting Jews during World War II. She learnt the limitless bounds of the Spirit’s fruits in a fruitless environment. She is quoted as saying: “Love is larger than the walls which shut it in.”
