Fruit of The Spirit – Peace
Peaceful Living In A Not So Peaceful World
If you recall the text for this series is:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Gal 5:22-23 (NASB)
Everyone wants to have peace of mind. Whether you have a job or stay at home – whether you are male or female – whether you are fifteen or fifty. Everyone wants to have peace of mind. But most of us have to admit that we experience more stress than peace.
How familiar are you with stress? Here is a little quiz. Complete each of these sentences with the appropriate word:
I am ready to throw in the ____________________.
I am at the end of my ____________________.
I am just a bundle of ___________________.
My life is falling ____________________.
I am at my wits’ ____________________.
I feel like resigning from the human ____________________.
How do you know those answers? Because you have heard them before and you may even have experienced them. You are an expert on the subject of stress!
Stress is an unfortunate fact of life in our modern world. Everyone is under stress. Everyone is tense. Millions of aspirin are consumed in the United Sates every day. Sales of tranquilizers are at an all-time high. Books on peace of mind have become instant sellers.
We are told that too much stress is unhealthy. What else is new? We have known that for centuries. Nearly three thousand years ago, Solomon wrote,
“A sound mind makes for a robust body, but runaway emotions corrode the bones.” (Proverbs 14:30 Msg)
The Bible has a lot to say about stress, and even more about its antidote – peace of mind. Did you know that the Bible speaks about three kinds of peace? But what is peace?
YOU NEED THREE KINDS OF PEACE
The Bible talks about three kinds of peace. First is spiritual peace.
1. SPIRITUAL Peace
Spiritual peace is peace with God. Romans 5:1 says:
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Rom 5:1 (NASB)
That is the foundation of all peace – the bottom line. We have to have peace with God before we can have any other kind of peace. I hope you have found that peace. There is only one way to obtain it, and that is though Jesus Christ. Jesus said:
"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 (NASB)
Next comes emotional peace.
2. EMOTIONAL Peace
First we must have peace with God – spiritual peace. Then we can have the peace of God – emotional peace. This is what most of us think about when we think of the word peace – an internal sense of well-being and order.
Colossians 3:15 says:
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.” Col 3:15 (NASB)
The Greek word translated “rule” here is used only this one time in the Bible, and it means “to umpire”. This verse says we should let the peace of God be the umpire in our lives.
What does an umpire do? He keeps the peace. He makes sure the game is played in a smooth and orderly manner. God wants to give you an internal umpire who will keep you at peace even when everything around you seems chaotic.
Have you ever heard anyone say, “I need to get away?” Maybe you have said it yourself. Have you ever been so tired at night that your body collapses into the bed but your mind won’t turn off? Your mind just races from one thought to another. Well, you can get away. You could go to Tahiti, but if you do not have emotional peace, your mind will still be racing while you are getting a tan on the beach. You cannot run away from yourself. You need both spiritual peace and emotional peace.
Third, you need relational peace – peace with other people.
3. RELATIONAL Peace
Romans 12:18 says:
“If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.”
Rom 12:18 (NASB)
Relational peace reduces conflict.
You must know from experience that relationships can be a source of stress. For most of us, our biggest problems are people problems: getting along with your boss – your friends – your in-laws – your out-laws – your family can be frustrating at times. We must deal with conflict, competition, and criticism on a regular basis. These things can rob us of peace. But to have true peace – we need spiritual, emotional, and relational peace! But can we find it?
In John 14:27 Jesus promised:
"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.” John 14:27a (NASB)
The Amplified Version says it this way:
“Peace I leave with you; My [perfect] peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. [Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge.]”
John 14:27 (AMP)
Jesus spoke these words right before he went to the cross.
Notice that Jesus says that he gives us this peace as a gift. We cannot work for it and we cannot earn it. It is not something we can pretend to have. We cannot psych ourselves up for it. It is a gift that we simply need to accept.
Notice too that the peace Jesus gives is different from what the world gives. The world’s peace is fragile. How many wars have there been in your life time? How many cease-fires? Someone has figured out that in the past 3,500 years the world there have only been 286 years of peace. The peace of the world is temporary.
But also notice that God’s peace is not related to circumstances or situations. God’s peace allows us to be tranquil in the midst of trouble. So how do we get this peace? There are five keys to acquiring God’s perfect peace.
FIVE KEYS TO PERFECT PEACE
1. OBEY God’s Principles
First, if we want peace we must obey God’s principles as found in his Word – the Bible. In other words – just do what the Bible says. The psalmist says:
“Those who love Your law have great peace; Nothing makes them stumble.” Psalm 119:165 (AMP)
God says that peace comes when we live in harmony with Him – when we do what He tells us to do.
When we buy a new car there is an owner’s manual in the glove compartment. This manual tells us that if we do certain things at certain times we will get more mileage out of the car.
God’s Word is your owner’s manual for life. It contains principles for health – finance – business – relationships and much more. You may ignore these principles but if you do – you will not experience peace. Just as a car runs more smoothly when you operate it according to its design – your life will run more smoothly if you live it according to God’s design as presented in his Word. It is that simple. If you want to be at peace – obey God’s principles.
2. ACCEPT God’s Pardon
Next, if we want peace, we must accept God’s pardon. We must accept his forgiveness.
Guilt is the number one destroyer of peace for most people. When we feel guilty – we feel we can’t let go of our past. The only way to have peace of mind is to accept God’s pardon.
The Bible says:
“As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:12 (NASB)
It is God’s nature to forgive. He likes to forgive. Someone has said that God has a big eraser. The Bible tells us:
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 (NASB)
God’s forgiveness is available – we need to accept His pardon.
3. FOCUS on God’s Presence
If we want peace, we must focus on God’s presence. We must realize that God is always with us.
Isaiah 26:3 reminds us to fix our gaze on God:
“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You: because he trusts in You.” Isaiah 26:3
We have a choice of focusing on our problems or focusing on God.
If you constantly focus on your problems – you will be distressed and depressed. But if you look at Christ – you will be at rest.
It is what you concentrate on that determines your level of personal peace. Focus on God’s presence – he is with you and he has promised he will never leave you.
The psalmist says:
“God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1 (NASB)
This psalm reminds us that God is our refuge. He is our strength no matter how overwhelming the odds seem. He is an ever-resent help.
Later in the psalm it says:
“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10a (KJV)
The New American Standard Version says it this way:
"Cease striving and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10a (NASB)
The first thing we need to do when we are facing trouble is to seek God. The second thing is to be still. The Hebrew word for “be still” means “to ease up – to let go.” It has been said that most of our problems come from our inability to be still. When was the last time you just sat still and focused on the Lord?
The third thing we need to do – is realize that God is God – and that He is big enough to take care of us.
Obey God’s principles, accept God’s pardon, focus on God’s presence, and then:
4. TRUST God’s Purpose
If we want to experience God’s peace, we must trust God’s purpose. Even when things do not make sense, we must trust God’s purpose. Proverbs 3:5-6 says:
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NASB)
There are four verbs found here: trust, lean (not), acknowledge, and direct. The first three verbs are commands. The fourth verb expresses a promise: God will direct your paths.
Let us consider trust. Have you noticed that many things in life do not make sense? And do you feel that a lot of things in life are beyond your control? What do you do in such situations? You trust! That is really all you can do.
“Lean not on your own understanding” means “Don’t try to figure life out yourself.” We do that all the time, don’t we? We waste much time and energy always trying to figure things out. But God urges us just to trust him.
We all face problems in our lives. We may ask, “Why me? Why is this happening to me?” Many people have told me that when they stopped trying to figure out the “Whys” – and started trusting God – they found peace.
The writer of Proverbs urges us to trust God and not to depend on our own understanding. Our own understanding is limited – but not God’s. He understands everything and every situation. Can you trust Him?
I heard a preacher one time say, “Someday I am going to preach a sermon on words or phrases we will never hear God say. One of the words is oops. God will never have to say, “Oops!” – because he never makes a mistake.”
God has a purpose for your life. Trust Him – lean not on your own understanding – acknowledge Him – and God gives you this promise. He will make your paths straight.
Many of us have traveled down some pretty crooked paths. We have wandered here and we have wandered there. But God says if we will trust him – acknowledge him – lean not on our own understand – He will direct us – He will lead us – He will guide us. Where do you put your trust?
But also:
5. ASK for God’s Peace
If we want God’s peace – we need to ask for it.
The Bible says:
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Php 4:6-7 (NASB)
Notice the order – first prayer and then peace. There is a cause-and-effect relationship here. Prayer is the cause – peace is the effect.
If you are not praying – you are likely to be worrying. And worry is a useless emotion – it is a waste of time and energy. Our word worry comes from the German word “wergen” which literally means “to choke”. That is what worry does – it chokes your life.
Jesus indicated this when he said:
"The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity.”
Luke 8:14 (NASB)
So if you start to worry – pray. When pressure builds up – don’t panic – pray! Prayer is a tremendous stress reliever. It can be your safety valve. When pressure builds up and you feel as if you are about to explode – open the safety valve of prayer. Turn your cares into prayers. Lay it on the Lord! God will not be stressed out by what you tell him. He already knows everything about you and loves you anyway.
Prayer – is talking with God. Tell him what is on your mind – what is troubling you. Ask him to meet your needs.
What is robbing you of peace today? Is it guilt? Turn to God for forgiveness. Is it worry? Is it frustration? Is it anger? Is it uncertainty? You can talk to Christ about all of these things and anything else that is bothering you. You will feel better for having done so, and perhaps best of all, he can do something about them.
There is a very simple prayer that many pray. Perhaps you have prayed it before – it goes like this:
“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.”
The wonderful by-product of your prayer will be peace.
(I wish to thank Rick Warren for the sermon starter ideas.)
