Devotional of the week: Love in action (11 in Fruit of the Spirit series)

…this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:1–11)

The apostle Paul probably wrote the letter to the Philippians either from prison in Rome or Ephesus. He’s sharing his love and appreciation for their partnership in the gospel, but he’s also, as with his letter to the Galatians, warning them against false teachers (the Judaizers we spoke of last week). He packs a lot into his opening paragraphs, signaling what he wants to communicate.

Read through verses 9 to 11 again, Paul’s prayer of intercession. He’s concerned about the unity of the church, and the love he speaks of here probably refers to the love between fellow believers. This love, imbued with the wisdom that comes from God, sets them apart and makes them holy – filled with the fruit of righteousness bestowed by God through his Son.

A couple of years ago I was asked to speak on the topic of restoring confidence in the church. At first I struggled with the subject. Although I knew that although the church is God’s bride and chosen vessel for bringing about his kingdom, I also had heard many stories of brokenness, disunity, and pain related to the church. And yet when I asked for stories of the church being a light and a help on social media, I heard of so much redemption. People experiencing health difficulties or relational breakdowns, and the church stepping in with help and love. The same comment was repeated, “I don’t know how I would have survived without my church.”

Those acts of love in action are Christians bearing the fruit of righteousness. Whether it’s driving someone to a hospital appointment or taking the time to sit and cry with them in their bereavement, we’ll never know the true impact of these acts of mercy.

How might you bear fruit today?

Prayer: Lord God, spark in me the love for members of my church. Forgive me when I’ve held a grudge and become bitter; help me to let go. Amen.