Are You “Out of Kilter?”

Growing up in an Appalachian region, I frequently heard the term “out of kilter.” When someone is described as being out of kilter, something is wrong in their life. Kilter is defined as being in the proper state or condition. Thus, if we are out of kilter, something is wrong. As Christians, we are usually comfortable with the Father and Son aspects of the Trinity. It’s when we start talking about the Holy Spirit we become uncertain, even uncomfortable. Maybe to the point of being out of kilter.

We are told in Acts that we will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon us. The Holy Spirit is central to the life of the Christian. We sometime overlook the source of our spiritual gifts. Those gifts are bestowed by the HOLY SPIRIT. There is much debate in Christian circles about spiritual gifts. It is not our purpose here to debate them, but to acknowledge their presence in our lives. If you do a Google search, before you even scroll down you’ll see articles stating there are four, seven, or twelve different spiritual gifts. Another sources lists 17 – Administration, Apostle, Discernment, Evangelism, Exhortation, Faith, Giving, Healing, Helps, Hospitality, Knowledge, Leadership, Mercy, Prophecy, Serving, Speaking in tongues, Teaching, and Wisdom. It’s important to note that these are GIFTS. We can’t work to get a gift, we certainly can’t succeed in striving for all the gifts. They are given to help us minister and live out our faith. Each of us is uniquely gifted for a role in God’s Kingdom.

Likewise we overlook the evidence of the Holy Spirit in our lives – the fruit of the SPIRIT. The fruit of the SPIRIT is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Note that these fruits are said to grow in our lives. Just like real fruit they take time to grow, they don’t spring up automatically. And they are likely hierarchical starting with love. If I decide to take up cooking, I am not immediately a five-star chef. I start with simple dishes and, hopefully, progress toward becoming a better cook. That’s sort of how the fruit of the spirit works.

We should look for evidence of the fruit in our lives. If things just don’t seem right, we may be out of kilter.