Fruit of the Spirit – Peace April 9, 2009

Stephen Hills

Shalom.  What does Peace mean to you?  It is like the Christmas time peace type – goodwill to all men?  Or maybe peace is world peace – wars, conflict and all that?  So what does it mean to you and me?  Like with love, we see so much distortion of it.  You’re happy and peaceful if you have a drink of coke, watch a movie, read a book, buy a new car, go on a holiday, have a new relationship and even listen to music.  Now I’m not knocking any of these things, some do indeed give us a feeling of peace.  However, is it artificial, temporary peace, or is it lasting and natural?

The Greek meaning of peace in this passage is: it denotes a positive state of ‘wholeness’ – soundness, and prosperity.  The word describes health of body, welfare and security, perfect serenity and tranquillity, a life and a state in which mankind is perfectly related to his fellow men and to his God.  So, it’s not a shallow form, it implies a more holistic state.  That figures, as we are (as we now) body, soul – mind and spirit.  A spirit of peace with our Creator usually will have a settled peaceful mind, although not always for all of us, and the outworking of that is a healthy body.

True holistic peace starts firstly when we have peace with God, when we give our rebellion against him and acknowledge our need of freedom from captivity of sin and turn to our resurrected Saviour, Prince of Peace – Jesus.  That’s when the true peace resides in our spirits.  That’s when we stop looking for anything or anyone to fill the places in us that only Jesus can fill.  That when our searching -our attempts at ‘doing things our way’ should stop, and our giving into ‘doing things his way’ start.  Spiritual peace is the result of this.  Philippians 4:7 connects spirit to mind.

Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Thinking on, meditating on these things can only happen when the first is in place.  How often though do we have a mind at war, not peace?  Past events, places, situations, people coupled with present and future on our minds, all can come together to create a battlefront where often daily we wrestle and fight with memories and thought that pull us further and further away from peace.  Isaiah 26:3 shows us we have the capacity and strength to return to experience peace, though sometimes it is very hard.

Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.

While in Thailand, there was a particular day when I was doing it tough, it was a case of ‘Not Happy Jan’.  Didn’t want to talk, hated the world, the train toilets, whatever, and I was strongly triggered.  While in this state though God started talking into my mind.  “Do you see that person, I know them!   I know the unknown!  I know those in houses, cars, everywhere, I want them to know me.” As he went on it just broke down and settled my crazy mind by showing me, it’s not all about me, and it’s about other people.  Peace returned.

Can we have peace with other people?  Romans 12:18 shows us it is possible, with conditions.

Romans 12:18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Is it possible, when we come across people with attitudes, anger, hatred and the like.  Or even just wounded broken people such as us here, or people where life has dealt them a raw deal, such as family situations.  How can we have peace and be at peace in these circumstances?  If we are loved of God, and are at peace with Him, then seeking to live in peace with others is more than half done.  Just like the Apostle Paul said: I know whatever situation I am in, I can be content, I can be at peace.

Philippians 4:11-13 ¹¹I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. ¹²I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

So also if we’re at peace with ourselves then it will be, hopefully should be, easier:  This is not always possible, but strive for it.

The nature of peace is such that we can have storms raging around us, and still not worry.  The opposite of peace is worry, anxiety, troubled, distressed – fearful.  I’ll give quick highlights.  Whenever I get into a new situation, whatever I get into a new situation, whatever it is – people places, etc. because I hate change, I’m normally anxious, worried and fearful.  Such as our recent move, fearful of many things, but if there is a peace residing in me, fear doesn’t have a foothold; it cannot rattle or destroy y peace.

Finally, one more thing, peace in conjunction with trust enables us to triumph in anything.  Trust in God, ourselves and in others, requires effort, but if true peace is there, it’s a natural outcome.  Without it we will never live in peace, be at peace or enjoy the fruit or it.

Next time Sheree will chat on patience, which is in my view, is sadly lacking in this world, and in the church.  We are so impatient, oh how important it is in our lives.