Fruit of The Spirit week 4 - Patience, Kindness and Goodness

Patience, Kindness and Goodness

Galatians 5:22-23 ESV But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

The fruit of the Spirit helps you move toward becoming the YOU...you were meant to be.

Patience = Makrothumia

Makros = Long

Thumia = Suffering / Anger / Passion

Paroxuno = To come along with a sharp edge

1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient. [makrothumia]

1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is not easily angered. [paroxuno]

● We are drawn to patient people and repelled by those who aren’t.

Kindness = Chrestotes

Chrestotes means to be useful or beneficial.

● Kindness is goodness manifesting in an act done to help someone else who needs it.

1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is kind.

“Contempt is the No. 1 factor that tears couples apart. People who are criticizing their partners miss a whopping 50 percent of positive things their partner is doing.”

”Kindness...glues couples together. Research independent from [the Gottman’s] has shown that kindness (along with emotional stability) is the most important predictor of satisfaction and stability in a marriage.” - Emily

Smith, The Atlantic / The Gottman Institute

● Happiness is closely tied to kindness.

Matthew 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Goodness = Agathosune

Agathosune - it’s the inner goodness

Romans 7:18-19 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.

Proverbs 22:9 Happy are generous people, because they give some of their food to the poor.

Three Rules to Live By:

1. Avoid all the evil you can.

2. Do all the good that you can, everywhere you can, as often as you can to everyone that you can.

3. Do the things that lead you to fall in love with God.