1. What hope did Paul express when writing to fellow believers?

WHEN writing to fellow believers, the apostle Paul repeatedly expressed his hope that God and Christ would approve of the spirit that the congregations displayed. For example, to the Galatians he wrote: “The undeserved kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ be with the spirit you show, brothers. Amen.” (Gal. 6:18) What did he mean by “the spirit you show”?

2, 3. (a) When using the word “spirit,” to what was Paul at times referring? (b) What questions might we ask ourselves about the spirit we show?

² Paul’s use of the word “spirit” in this context refers to the impelling force that causes us to say or do things in a certain way. One person may be gentle, considerate, mild-tempered, generous, or forgiving. The Bible speaks well of “the quiet and mild spirit” and of being “cool of spirit.” (1 Pet. 3:4; Prov. 17:27) On the other hand, another person may be sarcastic, materialistic, easily offended, or may have an independent attitude. Worse yet, there are those who show an unclean, disobedient, or even rebellious spirit.

³ Thus, when Paul used expressions such as “the Lord be with the spirit you show,” he was encouraging his brothers to show a spirit in harmony with God’s will and the Christlike personality. (2 Tim. 4:22; read Colossians 3:9-12.) Today, we do well to ask ourselves: ‘What kind of spirit do I show? How can I more fully manifest a spirit that pleases God? Can I improve in contributing to the overall positive spirit of the congregation?’ To illustrate, in a field of sunflowers, each flower contributes its glowing face to the overall beauty of the flower patch. Are we one of the “flowers” that adds to the overall beauty of the congregation? Certainly, we should strive to be one. Let us now see what we can do to manifest a spirit that pleases God.