I have always wondered why the first fruit of the Spirit is love, until I meet neighbor haters who were specialist demon chasers.
Who am I talking about? The neighbor whose vigil prayers wakes you and your baby up by 1:AM every morning, but who will never greet or ask how you are faring when he sees you by 6:AM in the morning; The neighbor who will refuse to help clean the house on sanitation days but sprinkle “holy water” and “anointing oil” around the room and compound to chase “evil spirits”; the neighbor who is always sharing handbill, inviting you to their church program, but will never share a meal with the hungry child whose parent won’t be back from work until 10:PM.
“By their fruits, ye shall know them” doesn’t point out saints alone, the fruit of the Demon Chasing Neighbor Hater is also very apparent. They are never cheerful, never have a smile to share, always last to the scene of a good news, but first to the scene of a bad news, spread gossip faster than it is created, discourage progress of others, have more enemies than friends as neighbors, selfish, self-centered, contentious, add fuel to the fire of disharmony in the house, let’s just say they are Christians in name only, not in deeds.
When Galatians 5:22 says “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,” they were exempted from such verse. Love is an “ideal” that is unattainable to them.
When they see others spread love and joy, they brand them as “Unchristian-like” and tell you how the worst parts of hell is reserved for such people.
As you grow in Grace, as you grow in Faith, as you grow in the Spirit, as you grow in Spirituality, you also need to grow in Love.

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