The Fruit Of Peace Series

I have a good number of books by Norman Vincent Peale, and almost every one of them has a

chapter on peace. The reason is, Peale appeals to the masses and peace is a topic that has universal

interest. Dante, centuries ago said, "I am seeking for that which every man seeks-Peace." Peace of

mind drugs are the most popular, for that is one way man can generate his own peace. For many,

their only hope to cope is dope.

Much, if not most, of the social turmoil of our culture is due to a hunger for peace, which is

sought for in all the wrong places. According to Ronald Hutchcraft, the Director of Youth for Christ

in New York and New Jersey, wrote, " in the next thirty minutes-

57 kids will run away from home.

29 children will attempt suicide.

22 girls under 19 years of age will receive an abortion.

14 teenage girls will give birth to an illegitimate baby.

685 teens will use some form of narcotic.

These tragic statistics reveal that we are a nation in perpetual war. The spiritual battle between

light and darkness is everywhere and one of Satan's greatest weapons is to get people to think they

can find peace in tranquilizers. The problem is he has a point. False and fake peace does have an

element of reality. Tranquilizers work because they reduce or eliminate the inner reaction to

stressful stimuli. They do not change the environment in which you have to live. They change your

response to it and this makes a world of difference. If you do not respond to what is negative and

disturbing with panic, fear, or anxiety you can have some measure of peace in spite of these

negatives. This is an imitation of what the Holy Spirit does in our lives when we let him produce the

fruit of peace in us. He does not change the environment and rid it of stress and conflict. The

Christian has to live in the same fallen world with everyone else.

Ronald Hutchraft in his book on peace, Peaceful Living in a Stressfull World, tells of the testing

of his peace as he wrote that book. He wrote,

"No sooner had I made a commitment to insist on peace than stress

brought out the heavy artillery.

My wife has had three dangerous illnesses in the last nine months

The staff for whom I am responsible went through a major upheaval.

Our daughter started high school.

Our son started junior high school with a badly broken arm.

We faced a decisive deadline in the legal tangle due to an accident.

Paychecks for our staff were delayed.

The kitchen floor and the back stairs fell apart.

"All these surprises came in right on top of my already relentless

schedule full of speaking, counseling, managing, radio, nonstop

meetings, and daddying. The peace has stood the test. To be sure,

my old high-pressure, high-pitched responses still surface, but I

retreat quickly to the new peace I have chased and found. This

tranquility is anything but theoretical or passive. It is the product

of a daily insistence that we choose the peace alternative."

His testimony is typical of many. The Christian does not escape the external turmoil of life in a

fallen world. But he can escape the internal reaction that robs him of peace. The world's imitations

do work for awhile, and they are a temptation. That is why we are told, "Be not drunk with wine but

be filled with the Spirit." Wine can help you relax and not feel as full of anxiety, but you have to

deal with the after effects which can be worse than the problem you sought to escape. Peace

purchased in this way is not worth the cost for in the end peace will be lost. The peace of God does

not come with the risks of negative after effects.

What the Bible makes clear is that we can cooperate with the Holy Spirit is the growing of this

fruit. David says in Psalm 34:14 "seek peace and pursue it." You do not sit on your couch and hope

it will fall into your lap. Peace is a matter of activity. You go in search of it. It is like game. You

have to go hunt to find it and possess it for your own. When David wrote this he was being pursued

by Saul, and was the no.1 most wanted man in the nation. He was a fugitive running for his life

under great stress. Yet he says seek peace and pursue it. The Apostle Peter writing to Christians

going through tough times remembers these words of David. He quotes them for Christians under

stress in IPet.3:10-11, "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil