Fruit of the Spirit: Peace

“You will keep the mind that is dependent on you in perfect peace, for it is trusting in you.”

I remember when I started studying the Bible at twenty-one, I came across one of the most famous scriptures, Philippians 4:6-7, sitting at my mom’s kitchen table extremely confused. What does God mean he’ll give me peace that surpasses my understanding and he will guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus. I simply couldn’t conceptualize it. Then the Holy Spirit opened my eyes and there it was: The peace of God is his gift and the reason it surpasses my understanding is because it is something that isn’t created but comes from the creator alone, and therefore, will not make logical sense in the human mind. His peace will guard our heart and mind because God is our protector and when we put our trust in him, he’s able to protect our minds from our own thoughts, emotions, anxieties, fears and despairs. His word becomes our anchor because his word cannot fail us.

The peace of God is a deep inner calm that comes from knowing God is in control no matter what our outer world is demonstrating. Life can be filled with chaos, but God. The attribute of peace that God wants us to desire to build within is a confidence that is filled with his presence and stillness regardless of our circumstances. This faith provides us with roots in a truth that God is ever-present, and all will be well because the righteous will never be forsaken because God is our sustainer. God is always with his people and when we are going through some of our toughest times we have to be grounded in knowing that God will never leave us alone and he will never abandon us. The Bible tells us the one who is righteous will have many adversities, but the Lord rescues him from them all (Psalm 34:19). This scripture brings peace and rest to my soul. If I choose to believe the word of God wholeheartedly, then I can be assured that God will always take care of me. What I’m learning is God wants us to seek him, cling to his truth and build our lives on his word because it never fails. Christ is our firm foundation and the word tells us to trust in the Lord forever, because in the Lord, the Lord himself, is an everlasting rock (Isaiah 34:4).

In the book, Holier Than Thou, the author writes, “we fancy the earth to be something special and it is because God made it that way, but even with all of its derived and perceived value, to God it is like a piece of furniture on which he places his feet. He said it himself, ‘the earth is my footstool’ (Isaiah 66:1).” What a mighty God we serve! God is powerful and through the presence of the Holy Spirit that same power has been put inside of us. The word tells us to put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provisions for the flesh. This means to clothe ourselves with the same character as Jesus. This fruit of peace is what Jesus exemplified on earth, and we clearly see it all throughout the Gospels. Jesus also said, “peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Don’t let your heart be troubled and afraid (John 14:27). So along with being a literal example of righteousness on earth, he also provided us with his actual peace because he gave us his Holy Spirit which is the presence of God living within us. This is why we can remain in the quietude of Christ. It’s about tuning our minds to God’s spiritual reality. What I’ve learned is that God is commissioning us to mirror Christ likeness on earth which simply means through the power of the Holy Spirit believers will be transformed to reflect Jesus as we grow in spiritual maturity. The Bible tells us that, “the Lord–who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image” (2 Corinthians 3:18). As we develop the fruit of the spirit: peace, we will be cultivating the character of Jesus Christ and this will give us the ability to mirror his image as he’s called us to do. The fruit of peace that God desires to build within us is very attainable we just have to believe and receive. God is doing a work in us and he’s perfecting each and every believer for his glory. Trust in the Lord and do good because God is Good.

“May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and Peace.”