Pastor/Author Paul Tripp’s Tribute to Tim Keller: This is a 3-minute read and is a lovely and very pastoral tribute to Tim Keller. I very much enjoyed it and though that you might as well if you are familiar with Tim Keller. If you are not familiar with Tim Keller, go buy his books and start reading.
Fruit of the Spirit: In Galatians 5:22–23, nine fruits of the Holy Spirit are mentioned. I was thinking about patience and kindness this morning. In some translations, the word “patience” is translated “longsuffering,” which seems much more fitting. There is, no doubt, suffering involved when the Spirit is cultivating patience in us. My specific thought this morning is this: you cannot consistently be kind if you are not patient. I know this from experience. While I care about people, I can be Type A to a fault. I want to get things done. I love getting things done. Probably too much. I like checklists, organization, routine, efficiency, and productivity. But people and life—especially specific situations—can be messy. When I am not patient, my inner world is in a hurry, restless, not still, and not quiet. When this is my inner world, how in the world can I slow down, see the person in front of me (whether my own wife, child, or a stranger), listen, and be attentive. I can’t. Patience and kindness are intimately connected. Are you patient? Are you trying to grow in kindness but not patience? It won’t work.
B.J. Condrey, Ph.D. 