The Scripture Readings for this week are:
- Galatians 5:22-26
- James 5:7-11
- 2 Peter 1:3-9
Early Thoughts: There is a song whose chorus I often sing (or threaten to sing) to the girls:
It tends to annoy them but it gets the message across. Or at least it fills some of the time while they are waiting. Maybe I should play it out my car windows while driving?
While we are at it, here is the self control song from that same album:
It is somewhat telling that close to 40 years after learning the songs to Music Machine in Junior Choir (Sunshine Choristers was our name) those are the two songs I remember the best. Because both are what are often termed "growing edges" for me. Which means they are qualities I sometimes lack.
When I was sitting down and pairing up "fruits" for this series this pairing was one of the first to be matched up. They are such a natural pair. Being patient and having self-control are very similar attributes. They both are related to delayed gratification. They both are related to remembering that it is not all about me. They both remind me that while there is value to living in the present there is also value in living for the future.
Sometimes it can be hard to wait. We live in a world where "buy it now" and "one click shopping" is a feature of online commerce. Having to wait, having to go by somebody else's speed or timetable seems so inconvenient.
And then there is ego. IF we are honest we sometimes (often?) want it to be all about us. We want to be able to do what we want when we want. It seems a bit of a slap in the face to be reminded that this is not the case.
The Spirit moving in us and guiding our growth changes us. That is what the Galatians passage is about. Life is about the wider community, not just about the individual. We need to know when to be patient. We need to control our instincts and urges at times. It makes us healthier both as individuals and as a community.
If only it wasn't so hard at times.
--Gord
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