A Blue Ribbon of Remembrance

Num 15:38-40  Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue:  (39)  And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring:  (40)  That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God.

It was the custom for Jewish men to put a blue thread in the fringe of their prayer shawls, and when they saw the blue thread it would remind them to obey the commandments of God.  I have a blue ribbon in my Bible.  When I see it, the ribbon reminds me to obey the Lord's commands.  But for Christians, the Lord's commands have been summarized down to only two.

Mat 22:37-39  Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  (38)  This is the first and great commandment.  (39)  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Refreshingly simple compared to the commandments of the Old Testament, but still very difficult to obey.

First, how can I love God with my whole being?  And second, who is my neighbour?  Does this mean that I have to be nice even to someone who does me evil?  And I go to church on  Sunday, doesn't that mean that I love God?

I like to think about the fruit of the Spirit list that is found in Galatians 5.  I know that the Holy Spirit is doing a sanctifying work in me.  Sanctifying means He is changing me.  I'm not the same person who was saved so many years ago.  And I know that this is a good thing.  I want to cooperate with the Holy Spirit as he does this special work of making me more holy each day. When I feel His convicting power in me, telling me of a wrong that I have done – I want to cooperate with him and confess that sin and change.

Some people think that we become Christians and then are able to go and live for self and the devil.  But a person who is truly a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ should have a deep desire to please and honor Him in every action, every word, in everything that we do.

Am I seeing that fruit of the Holy Spirit in my life that is listed in Galatians 5? Do I have love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance in life?  I believe that if I have these in my life I would be obeying the command of  Christ that is summarized in Matthew 22: 37-39.  Here are some questions that I ask myself as I see that blue ribbon in my Bible.

LOVE – Compassion for others, putting others first

•   Are we always looking for others to love us or are we giving love?
•   Do we love those who are unlovable and those who do not return our love?
•   Do we keep a record of all the evils against us?
•   Do we believe the best about people?

JOY – Experiencing great pleasure or delight; having a song in your heart

•   Is our joy connected with how others treat us?
•   Is our joy connected with our day to day activities?
•   Do people see the joy of the Lord in our lives?
•   Do we serve the Lord with gladness?

PEACE – Inner contentment

•   Are we patient when others mistreat us?
•   Are we willing to wait for God to reward our labours?
•   Are our minds always in turmoil?
•   Can we not find rest in the Lord?

LONG-SUFFERING – Patience, to endure

•   Are we jealous of others who have success?
•   Do we judge others harshly?
•   Are we quick to get angry?
•   Do we get irritable with others?
  

GENTLENESS – Kindness; thoughtfulness to others

•   Do we treat others as we wish to be treated?
•   Do we show genuine concern for others?
•   Are we thoughtful, considerate and alert to the needs of others?
  

GOODNESS – A growing disgust for sin

•   Do we overcome evil by doing good to those who do wrong to us or who hate us?
  

FAITHFULNESS – A commitment to God, spouse and duty

•   Are we committed to making choices that please God even when others are not watching?
•   Do we stick to a task or job until it is completed well?
•   Are we dependable? Trustworthy? Loyal?

 

MEEKNESS – Gentleness, humbleness, being thankful for every blessing

•   Do others fear having a conversation with us?
•   Can others approach us about a difficult matter?
•   Do we endure misunderstandings and injustice without fighting back or getting even?
•   Do we have a yielded, teachable spirit?

TEMPERANCE – Self-control; inner strength to control emotions, mental and physical weakness

•   Are we disciplined in the areas of food; in the use of our tongues; in the use of our time; in our reactions to people and circumstances?
•   Are our natural passions under the control of the Spirit?  

Christ is my example in everything.  My prayer is that I will continue to have a desire to study more about Him, so that I can be more like Him, and henceforth be filled with the fruit of the Spirit.