By Betty Hertz
Galatians 5:22-23: "By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."
John Wesley and other students at Oxford were held accountable during the Holy Club meetings where the Spirit's Fruit dominated the discussion. The participants shared their answers to 22 questions regarding their spiritual condition. Some examples were:
Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?
Do I disobey God in anything?
Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy, or distrustful?
As Methodism was growing, John began using a similar method in class meetings as a way for members to share their spiritual condition; a leader and a small group of members gathered weekly to share their answers to the following questions:
How is it with your soul?
Where have you seen God recently?
In what ways have you fallen short or sinned?
What are your sustaining spiritual practices? Have you been tending to them?
Imagine if you met once a week in a small group and took turns honestly answering these questions. Would you become more intentional about staying in love with God? Years ago, that thought would have sent shivers down my spine. I wasn't candid with others about my beliefs and behaviors.
What changed? I started attending Al-Anon in the 1980s. Al-Anon is a 12-step program for families and friends of alcoholics. Two steps that significantly changed me were Steps 4 and 5. Step 4 is "Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of myself," and Step 5 says "Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.” This required me to reflect on my morals. Then share honestly with God and another human. Yikes! After doing the inventory, I shared it with a trusted Al-Anon person. I trusted God was listening. Step 5 sounded overwhelming at the time, but what I experienced as I shared was God's unconditional love and, at last, a slight sense of peace and the beginning of hope.
Accountability to God, myself, and others involves examining my spiritual condition as I continue to grow in my faith. I use the "soul" question often. Recently, I came across another suggestion on how to reflect on my spiritual life. By putting the Fruits of the Spirit list from Galatians 5:22-23 in question form, I have found a good way for me to answer "how is it with my soul":
Do I have love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in my life?
When I reflect on this, have conversations with God, and then share with another human being, I grow in my faith. God asks me to look inside, make changes and share the message through my actions.
Gracious Father,
Thank you for your patience as I continue to grow. Help me hold the Fruits of the Spirit in my heart and use them as guides in my daily living.
Amen
Betty Hertz is a longtime member of St John UMC, a Stephen Minister and a member of SPRC. When not doing volunteer work, she is playing with her three goofy dogs.