Fruit of the Spirit

I mentioned in earlier posts that I am a teacher.  Typically I teach high school math and science (stop cringing, I enjoy it). As a teacher I depend of the Holy Spirit being part of my life.  I would not be successful or effective without Him.  I need the fruits of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22) - in working with my students.  Here are three example of the fruits I have experienced through teaching.

My first example is patience.  I am not a patient person but during the last few years I have had several people mention that they cannot believe how patient I am with students.  What they see is not me but the Holy Spirit.  I do not have the patience to sit with a student for hours after school tutoring them in three, four, and five classes so they can pass for the semester.  I do not have the patience to continually redirect students to do the task at hand.  I do not have the patience to explain over and over in different ways the same concept because a student has trouble grasping or retaining the idea.  But the Holy Spirit gives me the patience to do these things. 

My second example is kindness.  According to Introduction to Pentecostal Doctrine, kindness "is related to mercy and grace - unmerited or undeserved kindness" (p92).  This is not an easy fruit to display at times because it causes more work for me.  I see kindness in my class as a fruit of second chances.  Students are not perfect.  They have bad days, bad home lives, they leave things at home, and they forget.  So showing kindness is giving them the chance to redo a test or assignment, turn in a late paper, giving an extension on a deadline, etc.  They do not deserve the kindness, but then we do not deserve it when God forgives our sins or when Jesus was willing to suffer and die for us.

My third example is meekness.  Meekness is "inner strength in the face of difficult or undesirable circumstances beyond the control of the Spirit-filled believer (p92).  Meekness is a hard one because I always want to fall back on childish tendencies when I do not get my way.  One of the difficulties of being a teacher is that your job assignment (classes you teach) can change yearly.  Last year, I was called to the principal's office so he could tell me I would be teaching social studies this year.  I could have screamed, hollered, pitched a fit but what would I have accomplished.  Instead it was meekness that came through.  The Holy Spirit gave me the inner strength to calmly say "OK, thank you for letting me know so I can prepare."  The last thing I wanted was to learn three new curriculum and to spend time over the summer preparing for subjects I had never taught, but the Holy Spirit gave me the strength to cope and move on.

Life is not easy but it is easier when you are not traveling alone.  The Holy Spirit gives you what you need when you need it if you depend on Him and allow it.