The Forgotten Fruits By Cortney Donelson

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Charles Spurgeon, a gifted preacher and writer, defined humility as “(making) a right estimate of one’s self.” I appreciate this definition as it allows us to acknowledge our faults and weaknesses while simultaneously lifting our gifts, talents, and successes in praise to the One who gave them to us. This definition also correlates well with my life verse, 2 Corinthians 4:7-9. “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” We might have power, but it’s not ours to claim.  

Raised by well-intentioned parents to “look out for number one,” I have struggled with bouts of pride throughout my life. I’m not placing blame on them. I was the one who strove for perfectionism. I was the one who desperately tried to color in the lines and hide the mistakes – the times when my crayon crossed the margin. I built my competitive nature upon the rock of pride. However, I have learned that when I look out for myself, I’m not looking up to God. I must be high-maintenance. For when I am the most important person in my own life, I become so consumed that I can’t even see how I might use my gifts and passions to serve others! The first shall be last...

This has been a life-long and episodic battle where seasons of quiet arrogance are repeatedly replaced with periods of humility. I imagine I am not alone in this battle. I find pride rears its ugly horns when things are going quite well for me in my own little world. Soon enough, difficulties and trials arise, and I realize I have lost control. In those hard and dark places, I bend my knees, curl into a lowly ball, and relent to God’s sovereignty. I remember that I need God just as much as I need the air I breathe. That is precisely when pride gives way to humility. And, not surprisingly, all becomes well again. Humility. The right estimate of myself.

Sometimes, when I am in the middle of my pride-battle, I turn to Scripture to help me fight this particular demon. During one of my recent quiet times, I found myself reading about the fruits of the Spirit. At once, a question crept into my heart’s mind. Why isn’t humility included in the list of the fruits of the Spirit? I found that the more I reflected on it, the more I became intrigued by the answer God was revealing.

The Fruit of the Holy Spirit is a biblical term that sums up nine attributes of the Christian life according to Paul in the Book of Galatians. These are the characteristics of Himself that God wishes to use to mold and shape us with the purpose of transforming us into a more holy people. According to the passage in Galatians, the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience (longsuffering), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness (meekness), and self-control. When lived out with guidance from the Holy Spirit, these qualities surpass any level of wellbeing we can achieve on our own. How we live in accordance to these attributes tells us much about our relational and spiritual health.

I really like this list. I often use it for self-assessment. My Bible bears the evidence of these spiritual tests. I’ve written plusses and minuses with dates next to each fruit that reveal my growth – and also my backward steps – in these nine areas over the last 20 years. Sometimes, I am living out the fruits of say ... love and gentleness well. Sometimes, I am not.

But, where is humility? If self-control and patience were included, I would have thought humility could have rounded out a pretty awesome top ten list!

I began my quest to find out more. There was not a whole lot to explore. Some people lump humility in with gentleness. Others include it with self-control. One pastor mentioned that he believes the Holy Spirit won’t even enter us at all if we don’t commit ourselves to some measure of humbleness. After all, dying to ourselves and picking up the cross to follow Jesus sums up humility. I get that. Yet, Scripture also reminds us to do these periodic self-checks. There is a reason...

James 4:10 states, “Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord and He will exalt you.” Philippians 2:3 reads, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” Humility is not a static personality trait. It’s a fluid attribute that can come and go (just like peace and patience), most likely depending on one’s current position or circumstances. We need reminders to choose humility time after time.

The Lord spoke to me the most through Colossians 3:12 which states, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Colossians offers a partial list of the famous “fruits” with two more attributes embedded within: compassion and humility.

Perhaps the list in Galatians is not exhaustive. Perhaps, it’s just the beginning. When we consider all of the characteristics that Christ modeled for us throughout his three years of ministry and add them to the way the Apostles described Him, we are able to get a grand picture of what a person fully living in the Spirit might be: 

• Compassionate
• Humble
• Kind
• Patient
• Loving
• Gentle (Meek)
• Peaceful
• Joy-filled
• Forgiving
• Servant-Hearted
• Self-Controlled
• Faithful
• Good
• Charitable
• Honest
• Confident
• Passionate
• Wise

This. This is what I’m after – the whole of the Spirit. I want to live out the famous “fruits” and the “forgotten” ones.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, thank You for revealing Yourself through these fruits. I am in awe of how much I grow and learn to trust You when I do life alongside You and live each of them out through Your power. Please forgive me when I close off or ignore Your voice and direction in these areas. Show me where I am weak so that You can make me strong. Holy Spirit, reveal to me more about humility. Will You share with me and teach me about how it might relate to a more godly life? In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

©2012-2016 Cortney Donelson. All rights reserved.

Cortney's book, Clay Jar Cracked, is available on Lulu.com, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other retail sites, and includes print, e-pub, nook, and kindle versions. Look for a new version under New York publisher Morgan James, to be released Fall 2016! Visit www.cortneydonelson.com for more information! To schedule speaking engagements, please email Cortney directly.