SHOCK ABSORBERS

Posted on May 23, 2017 by Graeme Wilson in Victory Call

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Galatians 5:22
When He stood falsely accused but saying nothing, we see Jesus living out Galatians 5:22. He could have done and said A LOT of things, but He remained in control. Peter would surely tell us there was love in His eyes. The travesty that was happening that day didn’t extract the joy in His heart, knowing He would soon be home again with His Father. Nor did it take His peace. Do we need a better example of longsuffering, faithfulness, gentleness? Dare we say it was His kindness and goodness that did not cause Him to call 10,000 angels and eradicate that whole scene?
Watching Him absorb the shock of that day should be an encouragement to us that we, too, in all of our frailty, can absorb life’s trials if we walk with Him in the Spirit. When our life is infused with those characteristics of the Holy Spirit, we are enabled to take the hits that life can deal out. We are better, then, to assist another who maybe can’t take those hits as well.  (If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Eccl. 4:10) We can become what the Holy Spirit is: a comforter, a counselor, a “shock absorbing” friend.
When we ask the Father to make us more like Jesus, do we consider the way Jesus exemplified the fruit of the Spirit? As we strive to be more like our Savior, do we ask our Father to grow in us the traits that will cost us something to acquire? People say they would love to teach with the wisdom that Jesus did; heal as He did with power; cast out demons with authority; see miracles. But how often do we hear people pursue those things in life that actually cause us to learn how to walk in peace, longsuffering, self-control? When someone offends us, when a loved one dies, when we are betrayed, we need the fruit of the Spirit as a shock absorber to protect our hearts. Most of us would probably pass on having to learn the mechanics of how to do that…no one wants to deal with any of the above. But without them, how do we become more like Him?
To know the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death (Phil. 3:10) is a high calling. That our Father would want that camaraderie, calling us to be more like His most precious treasure, Jesus, is a privilege. And yes, getting there can be painful, but with the fruit of the Spirit in us we can exercise the wisdom He gives us, absorb life’s shocking offenses, honor our King, and become more like Him each day.
What a God! What a Savior!
Carol
Carol Tirondola is on staff with the Partner Care team at America’s Keswick. She and her best friend, Mario, have been married for 35 years. They have 2 sons and 2 daughters-in-law that they call their “BFFs”. They also have 7 precious gems called grandchildren. Her family has savored many memories of the heart made at Keswick over the last 35+ years and she is thrilled to now be serving on staff!