Kenneson’s approach to goodness involves a fruit that is cultivated in the midst of a self-help culture. Three significant thoughts introduce the idea of goodness in this chapter.

One, the consistent testimony of God’s word is that God alone is unequivocally good. Jesus indicates this in his discussion with the rich young ruler (Mk. 10:18).

Two, if human bondage to sin makes us incapable of goodness apart from God, we are nevertheless created with the capacity and potential for goodness, stemming from our being created in His image.

Three, if God alone is good and humans are capable of good only through Him, then knowing what counts for good can also only be determined under the guidance of God’s Spirit.

In the midst of the obstacles to goodness, several avenues of cultivating goodness are noteworthy.

Learning to name our sin, attending to God’s word, and imitating the saints are three ways the cultivation of goodness encourages a greater “others-directed” approach to leadership.

When leaders are characterized by goodness, a self-awareness, an upward attention, and an outward activity describe the cultivation of this fruit.

The fruit of the Spirit, kindness, applies in every area of the Christian life. However, instead of the normal way the posts have discussed the fruit of the Spirit, I want to share another key section of Kenneson’s book involving application.

Kenneson approaches the application of demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit in every chapter. The following is a perspective of how he applies kindness.

He begins by asking a question in relationship to our life’s story: How important are others to that story? The direction of his application leads to the interdependence of relationships as Christians.

Reflecting on the relationships most cherished and admired, in what ways are they characterized by interdependence?

A Christian’s life is intricately woven into the lives of many other people. How different would our approach to kindness be if our livelihood was dependent on others and their livelihood dependent on us?

Listening and interacting with one another is crucial to demonstrating kindness. If Christians were demonstrating kindness in a culture that is characterized by self-sufficiency, imagine how different the world might look.

While peace is often associated with the cessation or absence of conflict, there is a positive connotation to peace, a wholeness.

The Hebrew word shalom and the Greek word eirênê both carry the idea of wholeness and harmony that characterizes a way of life.

Kenneson discusses several obstacles that stand in the way of this kind of biblical peace.

Individualism, and the promotion of such individualism, strikes at the heart of achieving biblical peace.

The privatization of faith takes individualism even further, as many often speak of a “personal relationship with Jesus,” meaning one’s own private relationship. Perhaps this explains why so many “self-professed Christians believe they can be perfectly good Christians apart from the church (92).

Compartmentalizing life, defending our rights, and sanctioning violence are only a few of the ways peace is attacked.

Incorporating baptism, edifying one another, admonishing one another, and forgiving one another are a few ways to support biblical peace.

When peace becomes a way of life there will be the kind of harmony and wholeness that can only be the result of a relationship with God and one another.

The characteristic of joy exceeds simple pleasure. Kenneson points out that joy is a byproduct of the desire for something more outward.

The “other-directedness,” outward movement, of joy may very well be why it is so closely connected to love. If love be related to God’s grace, the gift exemplifies a significance between the two Greek words with the same root: charis (grace) and chara (joy).

As amazing as it sounds, scripture connects suffering with joy; “living joyfully despite persecution and affliction does not require one to deny the reality of suffering or pain” (63).

The world presents the greatest obstacles concerning joy. English poet Lord Byron said, “There’s not a joy the world can give like that it takes away.” The craving for more and cultural dispositions of anxiety and fear are fed by an advertising industry promoting both.

Cultivating joy occurs when we are able to rejoice in the opportunity to worship God, nurturing contentment, and learning to enjoy children.

There is more and I encourage you to get Kenneson’s book and read the depths to this fruit of the Spirit.

Opportunity has been defined as circumstances presenting possibility. For someone to take advantage of the opportunity, one must be able to see the possibility.

Nicholas Sparks once said, “It’s the possibility that keeps me going, not the guarantee.”

Looking at our neighbors who need Christ, what possibilities come to mind?

Broadening our perspective to the city where we live, can we see evangelistic possibilities?

From the city to the state and national level, what possibilities lay the foundation of our vision?

When considering the nature of global outreach, what possibility keeps us going?

Can we see the possibilities through the ways God is working in our neighborhood, city, state, nation, and world?

Leadership will not succeed if we are only looking for guarantees. The possibilities of what God can and will do through us must keep us going.

We have seen the mighty hand of God at work throughout scripture, and we should be able to see His work in our lives every day.

When our leadership is fueled by these possibilities, then a vision is cast that will lead others to great achievement.

Interesting how a thought about serving cultivates love in our life and leadership.

Lewis Carroll claims that “one of the secrets of life is that all that is really worth the doing is what we do for others.”

What we do for others is where leadership develops and shines. The approach to life in determining what is in the best interest of someone else must drive our leadership.

Mr. Carroll summarizes this idea as one of the secrets of life, implying that success in life is the natural result for those who practice it.

Biblically, this idea becomes a common thread throughout many of the individual books written to God’s people.

Reading the book of Philippians quickly reveals the need to have the same mind in us that was in Christ. This mind, or attitude, involves a humble spirit that seeks to do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but to regard others as more important than ourselves.

This is the heart of leadership and the future of the church in this world. May we always take advantage of the moment to serve.