Chase emotions or receive the fruit of the Spirit?

There are a lot of human emotions. The core emotions are happiness, sadness, fear, disgust, anger, and surprise.

There are nine fruits of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:22–23:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…”

The difference between emotions (common to all humans) and the fruit of the Spirit (character traits of God) is that one comes from the world of humans and the other comes from God.

Emotions are dictated by humanness

Situational. Genetic. Hormonal. Neurochemistry. Cultural. Awareness. History. Social structure. Body-brain-survival.

All human conditions.

Happiness is my favorite emotion.

Human circumstances provide situations that cause happiness…sometimes. But it is fleeting and, eventually, erodes. Then it is replaced by another emotion.

Disappointment. Sad. Angry.

Emotions are circumstantial. Emotions are normal. Emotions make me emotional.

I cannot control the emotion I am feeling, but I can change my situation and (maybe) evoke a different emotion.

When I am lonely, I can meet a friend and have some fun. Eventually, happy comes along.

When I am sad, I can have a good cry, then look around and realize how grateful I am for all the good in my life. Maybe contentment will visit.

If I am anxious, I can do some measured breathing and become more calm.

If I am angry, I can identify the source, talk about it or journal about it, and find relief instead of resentment.

I can manipulate my emotions.

And there is nothing wrong with any of the emotions. There is only sometimes something wrong with how we respond to them.

The fruit of the Spirit is sourced from God

I don’t mean sourced in a commercial-goods sort of way, like my coffee beans being sourced from Colombia and my tea being sourced from Japan.

Different things—goods—are sourced from different places.

I mean it in an origin sort of way, like ALL the fruit of the Spirit is sourced from God. One place.

Coffee can be sourced from many places. The fruit of the Spirit? One place.

And the fruit is in direct contrast to human nature—the works of the flesh.

Humans cannot manipulate the fruit of the Spirit. They can only receive it.

And that gift received only comes by staying connected to Jesus.

John 15:5:

“I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you abide in Me and I in you, you will bear great fruit. Without Me, you will accomplish nothing.” (Said Jesus.)

I can hear, “But I can do a lot of things without Jesus.”

Sure, we all can. But the meaning here is that we cannot do anything for the kingdom of the living God apart from Jesus. We cannot bear heavenly fruit apart from Jesus.

John 14:6:

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (Again, Jesus.)

The world cannot give the sort of peace that Jesus gives.

The world might give a temporary feeling of peace some of the time, but things happen. Loss. Accidents. Wars.

And the world-produced peace is gone.

Rather, it is exposed for what it is.

Temporary.

The real, lasting peace comes from a security found in God. An understanding that this world is a place of problems and Jesus is a place of eternal security and peace.

Before anyone gets riled up, thinking I’m being negative about the world we live in, I will say “Yes,” this world also offers wonderful times and sources of great happiness.

But if we are being real here, we will admit they are not sustaining. And while my life might be “good” at a given time, there are many others who are suffering at the same moment.

This world will never (ever) produce a sense of peace for all people at all times.

Only God can do that.

Only Jesus offers that.

And it is not a peace that exists because everything on earth is going to be alright.

It is a peace that exists because everything in heaven is now and is always going to be alright.

Your will as it is in heaven…

Matthew 6:9–10:

“…Our Father in heaven, let Your name remain holy. Bring about Your kingdom. Manifest Your will here on earth, as it is manifest in heaven.”

God’s will rules heaven.

But earth is a place of good and evil. I cannot imagine anyone thinking the world is all good all the time.

It simply doesn’t reflect reality.

And the evil things of this world produce emotional responses. The good things also produce emotions.

War?

I feel afraid and anxious.

People starving?

I feel sadness and sympathy.

Olympic victory?

I feel admiration.

A beautiful mountain range?

I feel awe.

I accept the reality that all the emotions are part of who I am.

I don’t want to BE my emotions

I want to be like Jesus

And Jesus is defined by the fruit of the Spirit.

They are who God is.

Emotions are going to happen. Again, my favorite is happiness.

But how do I remain happy all the time?

It is not possible.

I’ve tried to be happy all the time. It doesn’t work.

So I am faced with a choice.

I can chase human emotions (and I’ve spent many, many years of my life doing just that).

Or I can receive the fruit of the Spirit.

Chase.

Receive.

After 60 years, I understand the wide difference between chasing something and receiving something.

Chasing is exhausting and oftentimes futile.

Receiving is easy—no, simple.

Receiving is simple.

For me, it is not an easy thing to receive something without giving something.

But the fruit of the Spirit (the whole fruit basket) is a gift of God.

If I must feel as if I am doing something to receive it, then I can say I surrender to Jesus.

I give up my own way to the way of Jesus.

I stop trying and let the Spirit do the work in my life.

But giving up isn’t really doing anything at all, is it?

So here’s the end game (for me right now, anyway):

I want joy.

Happiness is so yesterday—and I know it doesn’t last.

It is still my favorite emotion, but I’m tired of chasing it.

So I stop.

And I do nothing.

(Remember, surrender to the Spirit is really doing nothing on my own.)

And God gives me joy plus all the other fruit.

All the fruit of the Spirit can define my life

And I am amazed that the variety of fruit comes together while emotions come one or two at a time.

I’ve been proud and sad at the same time. Kid going to college.

Or happy and surprised at the same time.

But my point is, all the emotions don’t come all at once.

Humanly impossible.

But all the fruit of the Spirit?

They certainly are a package deal.

Only God can do such things.

And the world cannot rob me of the fruit as it can rob me of happiness.

God gives joy (and all the other fruit), and the world cannot weaken or abrade it.

Weaken: make something less strong or effective.

Abrade: wear away, cause damage by erosion.

The world has no power to weaken or abrade what God gives.

Emotions?

Sure, the world has oodles of power over my emotions.

But the fruit of the Spirit isn’t the same as human emotion.

Not even close.

So I will think about God and the things of God and the Spirit living in me.

I will stop chasing and simply receive.

Romans 8:6:

“For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.”