Fruit of the Spirit: Peace
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
The third fruit of the Spirit is Peace. Our world and our culture are anything BUT peaceful. War, terrorism, political discord, daily life in a high school, our families- the list goes on and on. So how does peace fit into all of this? Peace starts with a relationship with God. Without that, there is no peace. Period. Isaiah 48:22 says that there is no peace for the wicked. How do we have peace with God? Well, it comes at a great price- but that price has already been paid. On the cross. Christ allows this peace. It comes from the Holy Spirit and is a gift.
When Jesus was talking to his disciples before he went to the cross, he told them he was leaving them with his peace. It is a peace that we can’t find in our world. (John 14:25-27). And it is a peace beyond anything that we can understand (Phil 4:7). In fact, it will GUARD our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Phil 4:7). I don’t know about you, but that is a peace that I want! Once we have peace with God, then we also can have peace with others. (Romans 12:18). Peace with others can take a lot of humility and forgiveness.
Don’t confuse apathy or carelessness with peace. These are the “artificial fruits”. It can be tempting, especially if our circumstances are good, not to pay much attention to what God says or things that are important in his kingdom. It might feel peaceful, but this is not true peace.
Wow, true peace is hard. But remember that the Lord is our “vine” and helps us bear fruit! (John 15) Guess what one of the “weeds” is that chokes out the peace? Anxiety. The Lord knows we need a lot of help and forgiveness when it comes to anxiety. He tells us in several of the passages mentioned above not to be anxious and not to be afraid (Phil 4:6-7, John 14:27). I Peter 5:7 says to cast your anxieties on him because he cares for you. We trust the Lord and his promises even when we don’t always understand his purposes. The Psalms are a good place to spend time in God’s word to help us with this.
Remember- God is sovereign and good! Other “weeds” include strife and jealousy. When you are angry or jealous, and there is sin between two people, peace is not there. When you are tempted to be discouraged by our world, filled with strife and brokenness and sin, remember child of God- your citizenship is in heaven (Phil 3:20), and the Lord can give you peace that passes understanding. (Phil 4:7)!
Have you ever had true peace?