Good day dear friends.
We studied faithfulness as a mark of a disciple. I reminded the congregation that we're having this series because we are all guilty of not being the kind of disciples we've been called to be. If you can spot an empty seat around you during worship, we've not done our part. Faithfulness is that which allows us to respond to God's call. Faithfulness is an unwavering dedication to God in spite of adversity.
Here is our study guide for today:
Monday: Re-read the passages from yesterday. How would you have lived your life had you been the “unnamed girl” from this story? Is your life guided by the Holy Spirit? Can the “fruits” of the Spirit be seen in you? Which of these fruits troubles you the most?
Here are the passages from yesterday's sermon:
2 Kings 5: 1 Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favor with his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy. 2 Now the Arameans on one of their raids had taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” (NRSV)
Galatians 5:16 Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.
The first passage features the unnamed girl who was faithful to her faith even though she found herself a slave, a victim of a war raid on her nation which carried her away from family and friends and made her a servant in the household of the man who led the raid. I gave away what most of us would have said had we been in this situtation: "I hope you die from this disease! May the chunks of your flesh fall from you and may you become so frightening even your family will be afraid to look at you, etc." That is not faithfulness. That is listening to the "flesh" as we read from the second passage. That is satisfying our own desires and not doing what God would have us do.
Faithfulness is maintaining a positive attitude towards life in spite of life-threatening situations. Faithfulness is knowing in Whom we believe who will be with us even if life does not treat us fairly.
Faithfulness is ours when we surrender to God's Holy Spirit. To live life faithful to God we realize we cannot do it alone, we need God's help.
As we prayerfully reflect this morning, how many of these "fruits" of the Spirit are seen in you? Ask the Lord to fill your cup; to lete you be a faithful disciple.
PRAYER: God of presence and power, be with me today. Let me be filled with Your Spirit so that my life might reflect that I've been in Your presence and that You are guiding me to live my life in a faithful way. Grant me Spirit thoughts when I have flesh desires. Grant me Spirit openings when I seem to be on the path of fleshy pleasure. I pray in Christ Jesus' name. Amen.
Have a great and blessed day!
e.v.
