The Fruit of the Spirit–Peace

“But the fruit of the Spirit is…peace…”  Galatians 5:22

The thing that most people in the entire world desire is the thing that is most difficult to achieve by the world’s standards.  Peace is more than just the absence of conflict.  A true believer in Christ can have peace in the midst of conflict.  According to Webster’s New World Thesaurus, the term peace is interchangeable with some other terms, such as calmness, repose, quiet, tranquility, harmony, etc.  Real, deep lasting peace comes from a right relationship with God, whose peace provides “the peace that passes all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).

The world cannot understand this kind of peace because they are unable to experience it without the Holy Spirit abiding in their hearts.  Believers who have experienced the peace of God have some understanding of it, but they can’t explain it.  It is one of those “you had to be there” or rather “you have to be in Christ” to really know what true peace is.  Spiritual matters and experiences are a mystery to those still living under the influence of their sinful nature.  They do not possess the fruit of the Spirit, which includes the peace of God and the peace with God.

Who would have ever thought that our great nation would be undergoing such turmoil and such an absence of peace?  During the last days, scripture speaks of folks being offended, betraying one another, and hating one another.  Scripture also states that there will be so much sin in the world that people will grow cold toward one another (Matthew 24:10,12).  Are we there now?  Is there no more chance for peace among the nation’s inhabitants before Christ returns?  If peace is what everyone says they desire, then why aren’t people striving to become peacemakers?  It seems that folks had rather argue and fight than find common ground.  Of course people have different personalities, opinions, and preferences, and no one who thinks logically can expect everyone to agree with him or her.  No one ever seems to win in an argument.  Folks just dig in deeper into their own opinions.  It is better to agree to disagree than lose a friend.  When it comes to spiritual matters, a believer cannot compromise his or her faith, but he or she can defend his or her belief in a loving and peaceful manner.

Real peace can only be obtained by the power of Christ living in us.  He is our role model for peace.  His life, death, and resurrection are proof of that.  The lack of peace in our nation and world would seem to prove that there are many who do not want to make the changes that bring about peace, the changes which bring repentance of sin and a giving up of pride and selfishness.  Until a person acknowledges his or her need of Christ and receives the peace that He brings, he or she will never find the peace that he or she seeks.  There is nothing like knowing the the Lord is with you, and giving you that calm assurance that everything is going to be OK no matter the circumstances.