Fruit of the Spirit Postcards … Peace

Peace … it’s what everyone wants. Life is pretty chaotic without it. The typical American pace is constant motion. We can’t sleep at night because we can’t seem to get our minds to stop racing with tomorrow’s to do list or re-living our past mistakes or worrying about the future or wondering if we’re beautiful enough or if the world as we know it is coming to an end.

The Bible says, “A heart at peace gives life to the body.” Proverbs 14:30

But we can’t just wish peace into existence. If we could, we’d all have it and we wouldn’t need God. Nope, peace is a person. Jesus Himself is our Peace. We can’t have the peace of God until we have peace with God.

“6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:6-8

When we experience the peace of God, it guards our hearts and minds. We can’t really understand this kind of peace, at least I can’t. When we have it, and if we will allow it, our circumstances may be chaotic but our hearts and minds bow down to the rule of God’s peace. It can only come from God. Beth Moore says that when Jesus walked on water during the storm and invited Peter to do the same, He didn’t change his circumstances to make them bearable. He mastered them at the peak of their impossibility. Jesus created circumstances in which He could reveal His majesty.

Did you ever think about peace that way? It’s like other virtues we seek after. We can’t develop or experience them until we bump up against some person or circumstance to put it into action. Once again, peace has nothing to do with what’s going on outside of us. Peace is the absence of internal chaos and disorder. Once we know Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, we have some responsibility to control what we think about, what we dwell on, what we allow to overtake us, and what we let rob us of the peace that is ours.

Beth also says that we are to remain under God’s umbrella. He holds it. Whatever is “hanging out” is in chaos. Isn’t that fabulous?! That paints a picture, doesn’t it? We choose to stay under that umbrella as God moves along. We choose to stay close to the Lord and bow to the rule of peace instead of keeping our eyes on what’s hitting that umbrella!

Peace rules.