Well, since I am going through the fruit of the Spirit one by one, the next article is about peace...
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The third fruit of the Spirit is peace. Peace is a blessing that ought to be desired and enjoyed by all. What is true peace? The Hebrew word for peace is "Shalom". Shalom essentially means without strife. Its root meaning is completeness, wholeness, and harmony.
Today"s fast-paced society seems riddled with stress, worry, and anxiety. These things in turn can have a negative affect on our physical and mental health, our work, and our home. How can we become overcomers in these areas of our lives? First we must realize that peace is needed in three different areas " with God (which brings completeness), with ourselves (which will helps bring about wholeness in our lives), and with others (this will bring about harmony). [align=left] [/align] [align=left] [/align] The first step towards having peace in our lives is to have peace with God. Without peace with God we would not be able to have peace with ourselves, nor peace with others and we can"t have peace with God if there is sin in our lives. Psalm 32:5 "I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah." God washes away not only our sin, but the guilt that accompanies it. He goes into the depths of our inner being and provides that magnificent relief that only He can bring " peace. Romans 5:1 says, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Once we have become justified we can have peace, not just any peace, but "peace that passes all understanding" (Phil. 4:7).
As a result of being justified with God, we can have peace with ourselves. The Lord promises us over and over that He will give us His peace. Phil. 4:7 also states that He keeps our hearts and our minds. In this verse the word "keep" means "protect". Trust Him. He will do this. John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
There was a time in my life that I stressed and worried so much that I had a hard time getting to sleep. Night after night I would lay there with my eyes wide open thinking about this problem or that situation, or planning what I might do or say the next day (being a perfectionist and a people-pleaser sure didn"t help!). Then one night I decided that something had to give. Isaiah 26:3 came to my mind. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth thee." Perfect peace. A peace that comes if my mind is stayed on Him, and if I trust Him. This seems to hold the same pattern as joy. Focusing our minds on our dilemmas and situations instead of on God, steals our joy and robs of us peace. So I made a decision. I said, "Lord, I am trusting my tomorrows to you. There is not a single thing I can change by fretting. Your Word in Mat. 6:34 says that I should not worry about tomorrow because each day has its own things to worry about without tagging on more. Fill me with your perfect peace." After I had that little talk with the Lord, I rolled over and within 10 minutes I was sound asleep. Ever since that night, on the most part, I haven"t had to battle with insomnia caused by worries, because I know I can rest in His peace.
Having peace with God and with ourselves enables us to have peace with others. Romans 12:18 says "If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men." Psalm 133:1 says "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" This brings me back to the word "shalom". I once heard somebody say the following and it has always stuck in my mind-- "When one heart is cleaned up it has Shalom in it. When another heart is cleaned up it has Shalom in it. When you put both together you can have tremendous Shalom " tremendous harmony!" Let"s take a look at what 1 Pet. 3:8-9 mentions are qualities necessary to seek peace: "Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing." Notice that having peace with others is proactive. 1 Peter 3:11 says to "seek peace", Rom. 14:19 says to "follow after the things which make for peace and things wherewith one may edify another", and Eph. 4:3 says "endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." This is something we work at. And what does 1 Pet. 3:12 say that the rewards are? It says, "For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers"" Of course, this does not mean that by seeking peace we should compromise truth. James 3:17 says that "the wisdom that is from above is first pure[/b], then peaceable."
In our endeavor to find peace with God, ourselves, and others, we will be able to experience the different dimensions of peace. Our peace will be like a river (Isaiah 48:18), peace multiplied (1 Pet. 1:2), great peace (Isaiah 54:13), great peace (Isaiah 54:13), perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3), and peace beyond human understanding (Phil. 4:7). This last peace that Phil. 4:7 talks about is the peace that enables us to make it through life"s storms. It is this kind of peace that makes people stop and look, giving us an opportunity to be a witness. Let us all seek peace!
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"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28
Fruit of the Spirit - Peace
