I'm Dancin': Part Two

Often, when we are in a trial, we don’t feel much like dancing. In fact, any kind of exuberant praising can seem an impossible feat as our chin is tied to our shoelaces!

But there is a concept we must grasp ahold of…God inhabits praise. If we wish God to step into our situation, our praise draws Him into the realm of our experience. In our last segment, we discussed the battle in which Jehoshaphat found him and the children of Israel outnumbered and outflanked. The Lord told him to sit still and wait on God, but the man took it a step further. He commanded his people to praise!

2 Chronicles 20:22 says that “when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir … and they were smitten!”

The fact is, the joy of the Lord is our strength. I’m sure there were some of the Israelites who didn’t understand Jehoshaphat’s command to sing! They were probably thinking, “Really?!? There are hoards of enemy troops well-armed and trained for battle and I’m carrying a tambourine?” I’m sure there were many voices that quivered in fear, but as they began to sing and the Lord began to fight their battle for them, the voices grew stronger and stronger until the valley was filled with the sound of worship and despondency was left in the past!

Our strength in our weakest, most fearful storm is to be found…not just in God but in the joy of God. Somehow, we have to tap into that joy!

Romans 14:17 tells us that the “kingdom of God is…righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” Even Jude encouraged the saints to build themselves up. Let us consider this statement. There is no need to build yourself up unless you’ve been torn down! He compelled the saints to build “up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost!”

Why praying in the Holy Ghost? Because that is where the joy and the resulting strength are to be found; they are not characteristics that we must force ourselves to manifest in tough times. They are given to us through the Holy Ghost as it moves through us!

Often, we think that the fruit of the Spirit are things that we have to work toward and if you’re lacking peace or joy or meekness, you are a bad person or you’re not trying. But that isn’t what the scripture says…nor does it fit the allusion to fruit!

I have often referred to the nine fruit of the Spirit as the nine inch ruler or the nine inch whipping post. I’ve heard so many saints accuse others in the congregation of lacking one of the fruit and determining to treat them as a hypocrite or backslider or enemy. We have misused the beautiful gifts and, indeed, armaments provided by the Holy Ghost as a way of measuring each other and finding fault.

This requires that we re-assess our understanding of the fruit of the Spirit!

Let us consider physical fruit. When we want to eat an apple, a substance that once consumed resolves the hunger of our bellies, we do not strain to produce an apple of ourselves. I can just visualize a couple of kids sitting in the park, saying “Hmm, I’m hungry.” One kid closes his eyes tightly and grimaces, forcing an apple to grow from the tip of his elbow. He then plucks it and eats it. Hmm, a bit gruesome and quite far-fetched, I would say!

Furthermore, a thorn bush cannot bear cantaloupes! A human being, fallen from grace since Adam’s sin, cannot of himself bear fruit that is holy, righteous, and uplifting. He will simply bear more of the same! That’s why we bear human children; one creates another after its kind! It is far-fetched to believe then than a man could bear an apple!

Isn’t it just as far-fetched then for us to assume that we must produce the fruit of the Spirit from within ourselves? If it is the fruit of the Spirit, that means it originates and grows out of the….Spirit! We simply must til the soil, preparing our hearts through prayer…thereby providing an avenue for His Spirit to enter and work!

Therefore, when we see someone or even ourselves not exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit, we shouldn’t condemn the person. We simply need to pray for them to break through again. With a breakthrough, the Holy Ghost is given free reign in the soul and those characteristics come ‘naturally’ with the process!

Galatians 5:22-23 says that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.” The fruit is part of the “gift” of the Holy Ghost. Understand, the fruit of the Spirit are gifts—not a measuring stick with which to judge one another or even ourselves.

It offers hope to those in trials that despite the outside pressures, once they can become lost in the presence of the Lord, they will find
• The love to be kind to even those who despitefully use them;
• The joy which will strengthen them for the journey ahead;
• The peace to trust God even when human understanding fails;
• The longsuffering to wait on the Lord for deliverance and to be patient with the situation and those causing the suffering;
• The gentleness to remain calm even when backed into a corner;
• The goodness even when the flesh would otherwise make mistakes;
• The faith to believe yourself out of the trial;
• The meekness to assuage the spirit of pride that so often enrages the wounded;
• And the temperance to keep oneself disciplined and in control of his or her emotions, actions, and reactions.

Please understand that the next time you see a fellow saint not exhibiting a fruit of the Spirit, he or shee needs prayer—not sanctioning, not ridicule, not isolation. So he said a word in anger without patience. So she cannot find it in her heart to be loving but rather lashes out at others. Take pity on that fellow saint and realize that the lack of that fruit is revealing a suffering soul.

If they are facing a trial so big that they can’t seem to break back through to the Holy Ghost who provides those charming characteristics, be assured that they are hurting immensely. The best thing you can do is get on your knees and pray them through that trial!

Believe me, if you’ll help them be once again consumed of the Holy Ghost, they will love, be joyous, be peaceable, patient…..

And when that happens, let them enjoy those fruits without continuing to judge them for their time of trial! Move on!

If you are the one in the trial, there is hope and healing in the Holy Ghost. No amount of devotionals, counseling sessions, or self-help books can give peace, real love, and joy to strengthen you. Only being lost in His presence can heal that wound.

And these characteristics aren’t things you have to “work on;” they are freely imparted to you when you are full of the Holy Ghost! Stop being a “do-it-yourself” Christian and rely on Him!

Our next segment will discuss how we can get into the presence of the Lord when the storm rages in our life. We must tap into the Holy Ghost, but sometimes we need that extra push to get there. If you need that extra bit of help, keep reading!