New things should work without a problem. This unstated assumption is one I typically would affirm until two months ago. Within a span of two weeks, I chose to purchase a newer car and needed to buy a new laptop. Now, it must be known I am not one for major purchases. Therefore, in making these decisions my expectation was the car and laptop would run with no complications. Then it happened. First, I found out the bumper of my car was detached and would need to be replaced, costing both time and money. As if the issue with the car bumper was not enough, my new laptop became a victim to a virus. Although an anti-virus program had been installed, the computer required a new and different anti-virus program to be installed for the removal of the virus and its effects.
During this time, my attitude was anything but godly. Other than expressing through stressful venting, this ungodly reaction may not have been outwardly evident. Yet, inside impatience reigned. A repair on the car would mean a lack of transportation for a couple of days. School work would not be adequately completed and Bible lessons would not be sufficiently prepared. How could I bear all this?
In the midst of this turbulent time, the Spirit of God used the Word of God to teach me a lesson. The fruit of the Spirit, found in Galatians 5:22-23, is a well-known passage but a passage which we can always grow in and a passage we should often return to. In this set of circumstances, God directed my attention to the area of patience in the fruit of the Spirit. The problems of the car bumper and the laptop virus were a means of growing me in Christ-likeness. They were being used to grow me in the area of patience.
I wish I could say I realized this biblical truth right away. I didn’t. None of us ever do every single time. We fail and fall short. That is why we need the grace of Jesus. In the gospel, we repent of our sins and trust in the person and work of Christ for us. We do not have or grow in the fruit of the Spirit in our own will power. We grow in the fruit of the Spirit by the power of the Spirit. Praise be to God, for His Spirit using His Word to point me to His Son so that I may grow in His likeness. A lesson learned from a car bumper and a laptop.
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