星期四:恩慈与良善——爱的果实

圣灵所结的果子，就是仁爱、喜乐、和平、忍耐、恩慈、良善、信实、温柔、节制。这样的事没有律法禁止。加拉太书 5:22-23

让我们一起来了解世界各地的水果:

番石榴

番石榴的外皮有点厚，颜色呈绿色或黄色，但果肉却是粉红色的,而且口感甜美，有点砂砾感。番石榴是原产于拉丁美洲的热带水果，包括墨西哥、中美洲、北加勒比和南美洲都有它的踪迹。

番石榴的纤维含量是菠萝的四倍，维生素C的含量是橙子的四倍。番石榴富含果胶的成分，所以它被广泛用于制作糖果、果酱、果冻和橘皮酱。在南美洲，您会在家庭聚餐上发现番石榴，因主人常把它与奶酪和饼干一起搭配，作为开胃菜。

今日的属灵果子是恩慈和良善

圣灵所结的果子，就是仁爱、喜乐、和平、忍耐、恩慈、良善、信实、温柔、节制。这样的事没有律法禁止。(加拉太书 5:22-23 )

恩慈是慷慨、体贴和友好的品质。 实践恩慈的方法有很多，比如打开一扇门，与饥饿的人分享食物，帮助别人分担重担，或者只是微微一笑。

在以弗所书4:31-32，使徒保罗在以弗所分享时，告诉了教友们恩慈的本质：“一切苦毒、恼恨、忿怒、嚷闹、毁谤，并一切的恶毒（或译：阴毒），都当从你们中间除掉；并要以恩慈相待，存怜悯的心，彼此饶恕，正如上帝在基督里饶恕了你们一样。”

保罗在这里对犹太和外邦的信徒说话，他们同样声称自己是上帝家中的成员。

因此，保罗提醒他们，他们在面对家庭关系时，应采用天国的价值观。这意味着在他们所有的关系中除去五种罪恶: 苦毒、恼恨、忿怒、嚷闹、毁谤。恶毒也必须除去。用恩慈、怜悯和宽恕取代这些令人厌恶的行为。既然这是上帝对待我们的方式——保罗接着说——你们也应该这样彼此相待。这些行为，包括恩慈，是为了在基督的身体上建立家庭和促进团结。

耶稣在世上生活的时候，每天都以一种勇敢和彻底的方式实践恩慈。 祂的恩慈常常延伸到“弟兄中一个最小的身上”，那些在社会上没有受到良好对待的人。祂治好了麻风病人，把鬼从被鬼附之人身上赶了出去，又给饥饿的人食物吃。

至于良善的美德，它字面上的意思是敬虔——像上帝一样——神圣、纯洁和正义的。

就像恩慈一样，培养良善的果子需要一颗纯洁的心。我们每天都要展示基督的良善(敬虔)。正如诗篇23:6所说的，“我一生一世必有恩惠慈爱随着我；我且要住在耶和华的殿中，直到永远。”良善是拥有基督的品格。当然，良善不仅仅是做好事或好行为——践行良善需要成为一种生活方式。

谈到那些将在生活中展现这些品质的人，怀师母说：“凡要成为基督国里居民的人，必须拿出信心和悔改的凭据，在生活上必须显出仁慈、诚实和忠义的美德……这样，跟从基督的人就有了具体的表现，证明圣灵改变人心的能力。”（《历代愿望》p.107）

基督徒的全部就是被上帝的灵所更新。所以，今天请您选择在心里和家中浇灌恩慈和良善的果子。当您与家人、邻居、同事和朋友分享微笑或鼓励的话语时，愿每个人都意识到您是“顺着圣灵而行”(16节)，而不是靠“肉体的情欲”生活(17节)，因为上帝的灵住在您里面。

祈祷:

亲爱的天父，您每天对我们都是那么的慈爱、善良和美好。帮助我们把握每个机会，彼此相爱、以恩慈相待。 奉耶稣的名求，阿们。

良善果子小活动

你需要准备：

• 一些好的水果或蔬菜，一些坏的水果或蔬菜
• 盘子和刀子

活动提示：

• 切开好的和坏的水果和蔬菜。
• 仔细看看，它们有什么区别？
• 仅仅从外表上看，您能分辨出它是好是坏吗？
• 您想尝尝坏的吗？
• 从这些水果和蔬菜中，您能了解到什么是人类的良善？
• 今天，当您思考好的和坏的水果时，对您来说最重要的信息是什么？
• 好消息是，即使我们不能让坏果子变好，但上帝是完全的，永远是好的。祂总是在我们不好的时候原谅我们，并想帮助我们变好，因为祂知道当我们做出好的选择，培养好的品格时，我们会更快乐。
• 请把好的水果拿来吃，把坏的水果埋在地下，在那里它可以变成好的土壤，并帮助其他东西生长。

圣经经文活动

动员全家一起努力，开展恩慈和良善的活动。身体力行，然后在教堂或邻居家教导加拉太书5:22，23的经文。

恩慈果子小活动

你需要准备：

• 纸、笔或铅笔

活动提示：

• 请每个人在一张纸上画出他们的手。
• 接着在手掌上勾勒出曾对您特别好的那个人。
• 他们做了什么，他们的善良让您感受到什么？
• 在每个手指上写下一件事，即在下周您可以为善待某人而做的事。
• 轮流谈论某人对您特别好的经历。
• 然后读一读您写在手上所有善良的想法。
• 谈谈你们将如何一起努力实行这些善举。
• 您知道善待他人是让自己感到快乐的最好方式吗？
• 为您社区的人们做些好事。
• 就像家人一样，为他们烤面包、购买食物或整理花园。

一起讨论的问题

• 我认为恩慈是……
• 有人为我做过最友善的事是……
• 恩慈在人际关系中很重要，因为……
• 恩慈是圣灵的果子，因为……
• 耶稣什么时候显得格外友善……
• 这周我践行友善的一次经历，是……
• 我们可以通过……让彼此变得恩慈。
• 我认为善良是……
• 良善是圣灵的果子，因为……
• 耶稣向我们展示了良善，当祂……
• 其他表现出良善的圣经人物是……
• 我发现当……时很难保持良善。
• 一些帮助我向善的事情是……
• 这周我行善的一次经历是当……
• 我们可以通过……让彼此变得善良。
• 祈祷:感谢上帝，帮助我们本周践行恩慈和良善……

弟兄姐妹们，我们想通过本平台分享更多国外本会优质影像资料。因为人手有限，希望招募一些志同道合的主内同工，做英文视频字幕翻译，视频字幕合成制作，视频中文配音，配音对轨制作。有意者请留言输入“义工申请”。以马内利！

Thursday

Kindness and Goodness: Fruits of Love

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” -Gal 5:22-23

Let’s learn about fruit from around the World:

GUAVA

Guava has a somewhat thick, green or yellow skin with pink on the inside. It is distinguished by a sweet and somewhat gritty texture. It is known as a tropical fruit that is native to Latin America including Mexico, Central America, the Northern Caribbean and South America. Guavas contain four times more fiber than a pineapple and four times more vitamin C than an orange. Guavas have a high level of an ingredient called pectin, so it is used extensively to make candies, jams, jellies, and marmalade. In South America you’ll find guavas at family gatherings often offered by the host as an appetizer with cheese and crackers.

TODAY’S SPIRITUAL FRUIT ARE

KINDNESS and GOODNESS

Galatians 5:22 and 23 reads: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

Kindness is the quality of being generous, considerate, and friendly. There are many ways to practice kindness such as opening a door, sharing food with someone who is hungry, helping someone carry a heavy load, or simply sharing a smile.

In Ephesians 4:31, 32, the Apostle Paul teaches the essence of kindness to the members of the church at Ephesus when he shares: “All bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and slander must be removed from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”

Here Paul is speaking to believers who are Jews and Gentiles, equally claiming to be a part of the family of God. As such, Paul reminds them, their family relationships should be informed by the values of God’s kingdom. This means putting away five sins in all of their relationships: bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and slander. Malice must also be removed. And replace these repulsive behaviors with kindness, compassion, and forgiveness. Since this is the way God behaves with us—Paul goes on to say—you should also behave this way with one another. These deeds, including kindness, are meant to build up families and develop unity in the body of Christ.

Jesus practiced kindness every day in a very bold and radical way for His time. His kindness often extended to the “least of these people who were not treated so well in society. He healed lepers, cast out demons from those who were possessed, and fed people who were hungry.

As for the virtue of goodness, it literally means godliness—to be like God—holy, pure, and righteous. Just like kindness, a pure heart is required to cultivate the fruit of goodness. Daily we are to exhibit the goodness (godliness) of Christ as Psalms 23:6 says, “Certainly goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and my dwelling will be in the house of the Lord forever.” Goodness is about having the character of Christ. Of course, goodness is not just doing kind or good acts—practicing goodness needs to become a way of life.

Speaking about people who would exhibit these qualities in their lives, Ellen White said: “All who became the subjects of Christ’s kingdom, he said, would give evidence of faith and repentance. Kindness, honesty, and fidelity would be seen in their lives…So the followers of Christ will give evidence of the transforming power of the Holy Spirit” (The Desire of Ages, p. 107).

Being transformed by God’s Spirit is what being a Christian is all about. So, today, choose to water the fruit of kindness and goodness in your hearts and in your homes. As you share a smile or words of encouragement with family members, neighbors, coworkers and friends, may everyone recognize that you are “walking in the Spirit” (v. 16) rather than living by “the desires of the flesh” (v. 17), because the Spirit of God lives in you.

PRAY:

Dear Heavenly Father, You are so loving, kind and good to us each day. Help us to be loving, kind and good to one another every opportunity we get. In the name of Jesus, amen.

Fruitful GOODNESS Activity

You will Need:

• Some good fruit or vegetables and some bad fruit or vegetables

• Plate and knife

Instructions:

• Cut open the good and bad fruit and vegetables.

• Look at them carefully. What is the difference between the good and the bad ones?

• Can you always tell, just by looking on the outside, if something is good or bad?

• Would you like to taste the bad ones?

• What can you learn about human goodness from looking at these fruits and vegetables?

• What’s the most important message for you, today, as you think about good and bad fruits?

• The good news is that, even though we can’t make the bad fruit good, God is completely and always good. He always forgives us when we are bad, and wants to help us be good, because He knows we will be much happier when we make good choices and develop good characters.

• Prepare the good fruits for eating, and bury the bad fruit in the ground, where it can turn to good soil and help other things to grow.

Bible Verse Activity

Work together as a family to create some actions for kindness and goodness. Practice your actions together and then teach Galatians 5:22,23 bible verse to another family at church or in your neighborhood.

Faithful Kindness Activity

You will Need:

• Paper and pens or pencils

Instructions:

• Ask everyone to draw around their hand on a sheet of paper.
• On the palm of the hand outline write about a time someone was especially kind to you.
• What did they do and how did their kindness make you feel?
• On each finger write one thing you could do to be kind to someone else in the next week.
• Take it in turns to talk about the times someone was especially kind to you.
• Then read all the kindness ideas that you wrote on your hands.
• Talk about how you can work together to do these acts of kindness.
• Did you know that being kind to others is one of the best ways to feel happy yourself?
• Do something kind for someone in your community. Work together as a family to bake bread, purchase groceries, or tidy their garden.

QUESTIONS TO TALK ABOUT TOGETHER

• I think kindness is…
• The kindest thing anyone ever did for me was…
• Kindness is important in relationships because…
• Kindness is a fruit of the Spirit because…
• Jesus was especially kind to others when He…
• One time that I tried to be kind this week was when…
• We can help each other to be kind by…
• I think goodness is…
• Goodness is a fruit of the Spirit because…
• Jesus showed us how to be good when He…
• Other Bible characters who showed goodness were…
• I find it hardest to be good when…
• Some things that help me to be good are…
• One time that I tried to be good this week was when…
• We can help each other to be good by…
• Pray: Thank You, God, for helping us to be kind and good this week…