The Life Playlist (Part 1)

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”

— Galatians 5:22-25 (ESV)

Have you ever thought about what your life playlist sounds like? I don’t mean a literal playlist made up of all your favorite songs. I mean a metaphorical playlist composed of the qualities and themes that form the tracks of the album of your life.  Your thoughts and beliefs, your feelings and wants, your words and actions: these are the notes of the music others hear when they are around you.

Over the next few weeks, I will be presenting a life playlist focusing on qualities and themes that should comprise the soundtrack of every believer’s life (since I will be including songs along the way, it’s a literal playlist as well). This list is not comprehensive, but it provides a good starting place.

01. love

The soundtrack of our lives opens with the triumphant chords of love. Because of God’s love for us, He gave us life. We were made to receive His love and in turn to love Him and others. Simply put, we were made for love. It forms the foundation of our life. As 1 John 4:7-8 (ESV) says, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

My former pastor once noted that the fruit of the Spirit is singular. That is to say, the fruit of the Spirit is ultimately love—all of the other fruits flow forth from that one. So love is where we must begin if we want to grow in the Spirit.

That’s because God is love. As we grow in Him, we will grow in love. Out of our love for Him, motivated by His love for us, come all the other virtues.

You are justice for every oppression / You’re forgiveness for every confession / You are beauty, goodness, blessing / You are love // You are healing for every sickness /You are power in every weakness /  You are mighty, holy, faithful / You are love //  O God of the Heavens / You descended from Your throne / Gave Your Son for our ransom / And by this all men will know that You are love

— Laura Story, Jonathan Lee, and Carl Cartee, “You Are Love”

02. joy

If the rich, full, never-fading voice of joy is not heard in our lives, we are miserable. The joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10), and His strength is our joy (Psalm 21:1). We can’t have true joy apart from Him. But when we have His joy, nothing can take it away. It overflows, bubbling over into the lives of those around us. It’s indomitable. (I love that word, which means “unable to be subdued or overcome.” Who wouldn’t want indomitable joy?)

Being joyful does not forbid us to grieve or lament. We can inhabit sorrow and joy at the same time, for true joy is not always manifested as giddy excitement. True joy is a settled surrender, a calm confidence, a firm faith, a hopeful hallelujah that remains even in the midst of hurt.

How do we receive this kind of joy? It all begins by giving thanks. In her book One Thousand Gifts, Ann Voskamp writes, “Joy is the realest reality, the fullest life, and joy is always given, never grasped. God gives gifts and I give thanks and I unwrap the gift given: joy”¹ (emphases original). What a beautiful, life-giving circle: see God’s graces, give thanks, and find joy. Again and again.

It’s joy unspeakable. . .

I have found His grace is all complete / He supplies my every need / While I sit and learn at Jesus’ feet / I am free indeed /What kind of joy is this? // It’s joy unspeakable, all You’ve done for me / It’s indescribable, just a taste of Your glory / It’s unnatural, not to tell the story of all You’ve given me / My words are incomplete, it’s joy unspeakable

— Todd Agnew, “Joy Unspeakable”  

03. peace

The soft piano notes of peace, even and especially when contrasted against the crashing thunder of trials, are something we all need to hear. How we long for the peace that passes all understanding, the all-encompassing shalom that Jesus promised to His followers. Tremors of terror may course through the world and threaten to shake us, but we can stay secure no matter what comes by staying anchored to the Rock. 

Jesus did not promise that we would escape troubles in this world―actually He said we would experience trouble (John 16:33)―but He did promise to bring us safely home. In that promise we rest. Until then, He walks beside us—Our Prince of Peace.

Stay close by My side / And you’ll never walk alone / Keep your eyes on Me /You’ll never be in need / Though this life is hard / Know that I will always give you perfect peace

— Laura Story, “Perfect Peace”

04. patience

During times of waiting, we need patience. We need patience daily for things trivial and for things life-altering. Patience carries us through the wait.

Since we must wait, how do we wait well? I read somewhere that in music, rests (spaces where no notes are played) are necessary to help listeners appreciate the music. The silence in between helps us to enjoy what is played in the meantime. 

It’s the same with our lives. We can’t afford to rush from one thing to another. There must be spaces between. While we wait, we can keep our eyes open to what God wants to teach us. And while we wait, we can choose to be patient. God is working, and one day all that He has promised will come to pass.

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side; / Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain; / Leave to thy God to order and provide; / In ev’ry change He faithful will remain. / Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heav’nly Friend / Thro’ thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

— Katrina A. D. von Schlegel, translated by Laurie Borthwick, “Be Still, My Soul”

05. kindness

When the heart-stirring strings of kindness resound in our lives, the echoes inevitably carry over into the lives of those around us. The call to kindness is convicting and often not easy to hear. Talking about kindness is wonderful, but putting it into practice? That’s hard. Try making kindness a way of life, and you’ll soon find it uncomfortably specific and painfully personal. 

That’s because kindness involves truly seeing and caring about others, not ignoring them until or unless it’s more convenient for us. Being kind involves prioritizing others’ needs over our own. But since we are naturally selfish, this is not our first instinct.

Kindness is only possible as we keep in step with the Spirit, asking Him to open our eyes to those around us and grant the strength we need to grow more like Christ by putting others’ needs before our own.

Have to wonder if I really want to know / The struggle and the pain that others feel / Do I want to hear the stories I see echoed in their eyes? / Or is this love I say that I’m reflecting even real? / As the light turns on inside my head / And I slowly disappear / I steel myself  ‘cause what You call for me / Is to show Your love here // I wanna love because You loved / I wanna give because You gave / I wanna reach my hand out to the lost / ‘Cause I know Your hand can save

— Chris Sligh, “Only You Can Save”

06. goodness

As we reach out to God in the rising and falling of life, we find that He is always good. Continual confidence in God’s goodness grounds us during times of trial. Though we may not understand how God can be good and yet allow bad things to happen, that does not negate His goodness. The truth of God’s goodness, however hard it may be to accept at times, withstands any attack. God wants us to take Him at His word and proclaim that He is good (Nahum 1:7).

In Him is no evil, not even the slightest shadow. He is light. He is life. He is love. And He is good, always.

You are my hope / Your promise never fails me / And my desire / Is to follow You forever / For You are good / For You are good / For You are good to me

— Craig Musseau, “Good to Me”

07. faithfulness

The steady, strong theme of God’s ever-unfolding faithfulness rings constantly in our lives, whether we recognize it or not. The Lord faithfully provides, protects, and perseveres in completing the work of salvation He began in our lives. He is faithful even when we are not. But He desires faithfulness on our part. He calls us to be faithful in the work He has for us, and He strengthens us to follow His way.

May the grace that sought my heart on that first day / Be the grace that binds my heart to stay / May the truth that opened up my eyes on that first time / Be the thoughts on my mind that never go away // For You are a lamp to my feet / A light to my path / You’re the hand that’s holding me // Faithful God, every promise kept / Every need You’ve met, Faithful God / All I am and all I’ll ever be is all because You love faithfully / Faithful God

— Laura Story, “Faithful God”

08. gentleness

Gentleness isn’t talked about very much nowadays, and that’s unfortunate, because gentleness is an aspect of Christlikeness. We can’t afford to neglect it.

Jesus is gentle. He is infinitely powerful, but He is also gentle. In a glorious mystery, He is both the Lion and the Lamb. That is wonderful news for us, because if He was harsh, we would be done for. Thank God He is not.

There’s a beautiful verse in the Bible that says, “You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and your gentleness made me great” (Psalm 18:35 ESV, emphasis added). Because of God’s gentleness toward us, we can be strong. We can follow in the footsteps of the Lion-Lamb by being dangerously meek and quietly powerful―all and only in and through the Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence.

Jesus, I am resting, resting, / In the joy of what Thou art; / I am finding out the greatness / Of Thy loving heart. / Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee, / And Thy beauty fills my soul, / For by Thy transforming power / Thou hast made me whole.

— Jean S. Pigott, “Jesus, I Am Resting”

09. self-control

Self-control is another uncommon, perhaps unpopular subject―uncommon enough that I couldn’t even think of a song about it. But just because it’s uncommon doesn’t mean it’s unimportant. 

We all need self-control; without it we would be obnoxious and offensive brats, and I don’t think that’s how most people want to be described. Self-control keeps us from going to excess in good things and  turning them into addictions. Self-control enables us to sit still and hold our tongue when we would rather get some exercise and let it go for a run. Self-control motivates us to turn away from sin and turn toward God. 

Like the other aspects of the fruit of the Spirit, we need limitless divine empowerment to exercise self-control—a strength we receive as we stay connected to God through prayer. When put to use, self-control helps to create a beautiful life, keeping things within bounds while allowing the forever life of God to flow freely in all.

for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

— 2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV)

10. faith (trust)

Above the steadily flowing stream of our thoughts and choices rises the sound of faith, leading us to God. Faith is a desperate, sometimes weak, sometimes strong trust that God is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do based on what He has already said and done. Through faith, we come to know and experience the truth our eyes can’t see.

Trust enables us to taste and touch the unseen. The hand of trust clings to God even in the dark, when you don’t understand and find it hard to believe that God is good. To walk by faith is to accept the future from God’s hands one step at a time in loving trust.

Will I believe You when You say / Your hand will guide my every way? / Will I receive the words You say / Every moment of every day? // I will walk by faith, even when I cannot see / Because this broken road / Prepares Your will for me

— Jeremy Camp, “Walk by Faith”

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1. Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts (Grand Rapids; Zondervan, 2010), 57. ↩︎