Fruitful Living
The fruit of the Spirit – love!
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails – 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a.
INTRODUCTION
Desiring to embody the fruit of the Spirit makes us inwardly like Christ. Acting out the fruit of the Spirit convinces and converts a needy world. The fruit of the Spirit are not merely characteristics that we aspire to own. They are glorious graces that must characterise all those who pursue a Christlike character. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23) are – beautiful qualities of Christlikeness added to our lives.
For the next few weeks our study will focus on LOVE based on the Fruit of Spirit Bible. Love is the first characteristic of the fruit of the Spirit. It is well placed at the head of the list, for it permeates all the rest of the attributes. Somehow, if we have a life of love, the other virtues will attend us all the days of our lives. Love is the key that unlocks the entire fruit basket of Galatians 5:22-23.
1. LOVE FORGIVES
God is a God of relationships and as we all know relationships are sustained by love. Because of the love we have for those we are in intimate relationships with, we are able to endure hurts, disappointments and even sometimes rejection. There is no One who can love us and teach us to love except God and He tells us that FORGIVENESS is part of love. On that we would learn to forgive so that we can enjoy the peace, harmony and joy that comes from God’s love. Will you try it?
The lost son in Luke 15 is a man who has done the most noble of deeds. He has faced himself. Perhaps this is the first fearsome work of being forgiven. Here is that courageous moment wherein we actually ascertain that we need forgiveness. The hardest work to be done is to look in the mirror of the Spirit of God and see our failure. The ugliness of our sin is clear to us. We are needy; we have been self-willed; we have hurt others. We have ridden roughshod over a whole field of human emotions. But more than all this, we owe an awesome debt to God. We have hurt our Father in heaven, and this is the savage centre of our sin.
We then make a decision about ourselves. We are sinners, and we need to be forgiven. Our forgiveness is available only in one place. We cannot forgive ourselves by ourselves, or we would already have done so. The source of our forgiveness can only be found in the hearts of those our self-will has hurt. Our confession needs to lift its downcast eyes toward God, for He, more than anyone, has felt the blight of our transgressions. But facing our sin means we have to look back at what we have done and then wait. Will those who need to forgive us actually do it? In that question our agony begins.
In the case of the prodigal son, he must go home. There and there alone the age-old struggle of justice and mercy will be waged again. If there is life for him, if his heart is ever to beat again, he must be forgiven. And in this case, only his father can do it, for his father is the one most betrayed. Will his father let love rule? Will our Father let love rule in our lives? We know the answers because we know God – YES He Will!
2. LOVE AND THE PURPOSE OF GOD IN MY LIFE
Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD; O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you is forgiveness; therefore you are feared. I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His word I put my hope – Psalm 130:1-5
How grateful the psalmist was that God kept no record of his sins. Rather, God long before revealed a character trait to the psalmist that made holding a grudge impossible. The quality is mercy. Because that quality is a part of God’s nature, He keeps no record of our sins. Love has forgiven, and mercy is in place.
What part does God’s forgiveness play in fulfilling His purposes for our lives? Just this: We cannot work to perform His will while we swelter under the necessity of carrying our own sins. We must be forgiven, for unforgiven sin dominates the focus of the needy soul. If we carry unforgiven sin, we cannot even think of what good, clear, positive focuses God would perform in our lives if we were free of our burden.
3. LOVE AND MY RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST
If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you, to some extent – not to put it too severely. The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. The reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven – if there was anything to forgive – I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes – 2 Cor 2:5-11.
Paul tells the church in Corinth to forgive those who wound and grieve others. A relationship with God doesn’t rest on our ability to keep the law or to be perfect. The kind of forgiveness Jesus gives cannot be obtained by keeping any kind of moral rules, including the Law of Moses. It comes softly, like love itself, tiptoeing into our lives the moment we say ‘I believe.”
Jesus has removed the effort from the process of obtaining God’s loving forgiveness. Jesus has died and risen again, and we are forgiven merely for the asking. The blood atonement is still required, but Jesus took care of it once and for all on the cross.
We sing the hymn “Nearer My God to Thee.” It is a wonderful song, but its truth is marred by the distance we put into our relationship with Christ by unconfused sin. Unconfessed sin can do to God. We can only be brought near to God by a genuine plea for forgiveness. Then we in turn can be free to forgive others.
To be continued!!
Stay blessed!
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Fruitful Living
Has man lost the essence of his creation? A reflective call to rediscover our divine purpose (Part 1)
Introduction: Rediscoveringour purpose
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. We praise Him, seek His help and forgiveness, and ask for His mercy. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our noble Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), his family, his companions, and all those who follow his guidance until the Day of Judgment.
In today’s increasingly materialistic and turbulent world, a profound question echoes louder than ever: Has man lost the essence of his creation? It is a question that compels every thinking soul to pause and reflect deeply.
In the midst of scientific breakthroughs, booming technology, and economic pursuits, we must ask ourselves: are we fulfilling the sacred purpose for which we were created? Are we still living as stewards of Allah on earth, or have we strayed from our divine assignment?
This article explores the Qur’anic foundation of man’s creation, the noble position he holds, and the deviation from this divine path in modern times. It further calls for a return to spiritual consciousness and outlines practical steps to help realign mankind with his intended purpose.
Man: Allah’s Vicegerent on Earth
The Qur’an states: “And when your Lord said to the angels, ‘Indeed, I will make upon the earth a vicegerent (Khalifah)…’” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:30).
This declaration marks the beginning of man’s honorable journey on earth. Mankind was created from clay, as recorded in Surah Al-Hijr:
“And We did certainly create man out of clay from an altered black mud. And the jinn We created before from scorching fire. And [mention] when your Lord said to the angels, ‘I will create a human being out of clay from an altered black mud.’ So when I have proportioned him and breathed into him of My [created] soul, then fall down to him in prostration.” (Surah Al-Hijr, 15:26-29).
This prostration of angels was not to worship Adam, but to recognize the honor Allah had bestowed upon man. It signified a spiritual hierarchy in which man, though of earthly origin, carries a divine trust and responsibility.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) emphasized this dignity. He taught that every human is born upon the natural disposition (fitrah) and bears the potential to fulfill their purpose as a servant of Allah and custodian of His creation.
The Purpose of Creation
Allah did not create man in vain. The Qur’an states clearly: “And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” (Surah Adh-Dhariyat, 51:56).
“And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth, and to establish prayer and to give zakah. And that is the correct religion.” (Surah Al-Bayyinah, 98:5).
Another profound verse underscores that life was not created aimlessly:
“And We did not create the heaven and the earth and that between them aimlessly. That is the assumption of those who disbelieve, so woe to those who disbelieve from the Fire.”(Surah Sad, 38:27).
These verses convey that creation is intentional, meaningful, and divinely ordained. The essence of man’s creation lies in his recognition of Allah, his conscious submission to the Divine Will, and his dedication to a life of worship, service, and ethical living.
Worship in Islam is not confined to rituals alone but extends to every aspect of human existence—how we earn, govern, lead our families, engage with society, and preserve the environment. Every righteous deed done with sincerity for Allah’s pleasure becomes an act of worship.
Imam Al-Ghazali explains in Ihya Ulum al-Din that true worship stems from knowledge of Allah and a heart that submits lovingly to His will. Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah likewise stresses that man’s highest honor lies in fulfilling the purpose of servitude (`ubudiyyah) to Allah, which brings inner peace and divine elevation.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) demonstrated this perfect balance of worship and engagement in worldly affairs. He was a husband, a leader, a statesman, and a worshipper who said: “The most beloved deeds to Allah are the most consistent, even if they are few.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 6464)
Living in harmony with this divine purpose not only brings personal fulfillment but also collective peace. Conversely, neglecting it results in moral confusion, injustice, and spiritual emptiness.
Therefore, recognizing and living by our purpose is not a luxury but a necessity. It is the key to real success in this life and salvation in the Hereafter.
By Imam Alhaji Saeed Abdulai, the Author
Fruitful Living
Trusting God with our anxieties (final)
Jesus not only instructs us not to worry — He explains why worrying is counterproductive to our well-being:
❖ Worry is blind. It refuses to learn from nature, history, or personal experience. Birds and flowers testify to God’s faithfulness. The history of Israel is filled with God’s miraculous provision — from Egypt to the Red Sea to the Promised Land (Deut. 8:14–15).
❖ Worry refuses to learn the lesson of life. Time and again, God has helped us bear the unbearable and overcome the insurmountable. He strengthens us even when we reach the breaking point — and keeps us from breaking.
❖ Worry is irreligious. It stems not from our external circumstances, but from a heart full of fear and distrust. Yet Scripture declares:“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” — Isaiah 26:3 (NIV)
The antidote to worry: El shaddai
Proverbs 18:10 says, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” One of the most comforting names of God is El Shaddai, which first appears in Genesis 17:1 and appears 218 times in the Bible.
❖ El means “Strong One.”
❖ Shaddai means “The Breasted One.”
Together, El Shaddai paints a picture of God as:
❖ Our Strong Nourisher
❖ Strength Giver
❖ Satisfier
❖ All-Bountiful Supplier
❖ Fulfiller of Needs
❖ The Life-Giver who brings dead things back to life
(e.g., Abraham and Sarah conceiving Isaac at 150 and 90 years respectively)
In knowing who God is, we find the courage to release our anxieties. If He is truly El Shaddai — strong, sufficient, and sustaining — then we are safe in His hands.
Practical steps to peace
In Philippians 4:6–7, we are given a divine prescription for peace:
1. Stop being anxious and fretful. Recognize the emotional and spiritual toll of worry.
2. Go to God in prayer about everything. Nothing is too big or small.
3. Pray for yourself. God is your Father — your relationship with Him is personal.
4. Thank Him as you pray. Gratitude builds faith and reminds us of His past faithfulness.
When we do this, God’s peace — not the world’s peace — will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 4:7 (NIV)
CONCLUSION
We are living in uncertain times. Pressures abound and anxieties easily multiply. But as children of God, we are called to walk a different path — one of quiet confidence, steady trust, and daily surrender.
God’s Word is clear: worry doesn’t help — but trust in God brings peace. Let us shift our focus from fear to faith, from anxiety to adoration. Let us anchor our hearts in the unchanging character of El Shaddai — our Almighty God — and rest in His perfect care.
By Rev. Dr Joyce Aryee, the author
