Fruit of the Spirit: Peace

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23, NIV

“In this world you will have troubles, but have no fear, for I have overcome the world.”

Jesus said it better than I could. I love the angels announcements. Whenever the Bible speaks of an angel appearing before man, the angel first had to say, “Fear not!”. I think if an angel appeared at my doorstep, that is what he would have to say as well!

God doesn’t intend for us to live our life in fear. He intends, rather, for us to have a “peace that surpasses understanding”. The Fruit of the Spirit gives us the ability to display that kind of peace. The fact that God has already conquered this world means that we don’t have to live in fear.

I have probably told you before, but I have a tremendous fear of dogs; especially big dogs, with big teeth, a heavy growl, and a spiked collar, whose owner says, “I can’t control him”. That is exactly the kind of dog we encountered in Brazil at the first home we went to visit. My tendency was to run, but the peace of God took over in my heart, and because of God’s strength, two new people were added to the Kingdom of God that day!

Dear friend, are you at peace? No, I didn’t ask you if you had reason to be afraid. We live in scary times. But, God wants us to live in peace. We have peace with God, through Jesus Christ, so that we may have peace in God! There are lots of sounds that “go bump in the night”, but there is a God who cares who is working all things for good in the midst of our terror. Are you living in that peace today?