The Fruit of Peace
We have countless phrases in the English language that revolve around peace: inner peace, world peace, Peace on Earth, peace of mind, come in peace, peace and quiet, peace offering, peace out, make peace, keep the peace. Cultures around the World have symbols that specifically represent peace. For example, the dove, an olive branch, a rainbow, and the infamous peace sign. We seem to be obsessed with the pursuit of peace, even after death (R.I.P). Despite our fascination, why does it feel like there is so little of it? When it comes to world peace, perhaps Jimi Hendrix said it best: “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.” When it comes to peace in general, maybe we have been looking in all the wrong places.
Jourdan’s Definition:
The Hebrew word for peace is shalom. If you are familiar with Jewish culture, you might recognize that shalom is a common greeting used to say both hello and goodbye, in the same way that “aloha” is used in Hawaii. Shalom (or “peace be with you”) is one of the first things that Jesus said to His disciples when He appeared to them after the resurrection (Luke 24:36).
While shalom literally means peace, this does not quite capture its true meaning. I love the way Dr. John Stackhouse presents a more fitting definition in this video, What does ‘Shalom’ mean to a Christian? I encourage you to watch the entire video, but to summarize, he says: “flourishing I think is the closest English word we have for it.” Thinking of peace as flourishing, instead of just the absence of conflict, changes the game. This means peace can be thought of as wholeness or completeness. Not just internally, but in our relationships with others. And by others, I mean everyone (Romans 12:18).
Peace is the fruit of the Spirit that I struggle with the most. I previously thought the reason behind my seemingly lack of peace was 50% anxiety, 50% situational (like experiencing a string of hardships). And while both of these things are certainly enemies of peace, simply removing anxiety or hardship from life does not guarantee that peace will automatically take their place. It takes work to flourish!
But how? If we turn to the Bible, we find that the only way to achieve peace is through the “Prince of Peace” himself: Jesus Christ (Isaiah 9:6). Peace is brought on by the presence of Jesus in our lives. Peace is achieved by trusting in God and being ruled by the Spirit, not our own desires. Peace is aligning our thoughts and emotions with God. Ezekiel 25-31 paints a beautiful picture of what our lives could look like with peace. Peace is not so much a choice, but a product of our choices. Peace is a blessing we receive from God and with peace comes many more blessings (Psalms 29:11). In other words, peace is the gift that keeps on giving!
Nohemi’s Definition:
I think Peace is a fruit that is easily misunderstood. For example, we usually hear about countries having Peace after the war or we sometimes say that we have closure/Peace after a hard situation. The question is - Why does Peace occur after a situation and can we have peace during the war, during the tough situation?
The simple response is Yes, we can have Peace during the situation/storm. During this week I have had some trials that were worrisome and left me on the edge of my seat. I am the type of person that tries not to worry and not to allow things to bring me down, but let me be honest with you, I am human. I can still have restless nights thinking about situations and I cry/want to give up when the road gets hard. As I was facing these trials I kept thinking about this blog post and how Jourdan and I would be writing about Peace and really thought about how can we have peace during the messiest times in our lives? Each morning I try to read my daily bible verse before I get my day started and this week, these verses really hit me hard on how we can have that Peace!
1.
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. - 1 Peter 5:7
This verse is informing us that whatever is making us anxious or worried, or unsure, to come to Him and cast those cares on him. This is a time that we can come to our Father and really just be honest. Think of it this way: going to your friends to vent and spill everything because you know they are there to help and not judge is the same way we can go to the Lord and spill our hearts to Him because He cares for us.
2.
In Peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety. -Psalms 4:8
But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. -Psalms 3:3
For my sports lovers out there, in football there is a position called your safety. A safety is a defensive back who typically is positioned deeper than any other position on the defense and serves as the last line of defense against a big play. Playing safety is one of the more challenging positions to play in football because they need to have various skillsets and body types since they usually serve as the last line of defense. God is your safety! These 2 verses explain how God is a shield around us, how He lifts our heads and allows us to lie down and sleep through the troublesome times. He isn’t afraid to be positioned against the enemy’s schemes.
3.
And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. -1 Peter 5:10
When we ask for Peace, we sometimes want that instant gratification, that instant relief from the pain/suffering that is occurring . When it doesn’t happen that way we assume that God isn’t there or doesn’t care. This is NOT the case at all! Receiving Peace is not like going to a vending machine and getting a snack. When we receive Peace it’s in the midst of sufferings. When Peace enters, suffering only last a little time because God comes in and gives us strength to keep moving forward. He restores what we used during the storm.
As you can see with these verses, God shows us how we can have Peace during our storms rather than wait until the end of a storm to have Peace.
Core Fruit:
While we are called to display all nine fruit of the Spirit, we believe each of us has a fruit that is at the core of our being. It is the fruit that we display most often, the one that defines our personality, or the one that comes easiest. As promised in the introduction of this series, we want to help you identify your “core fruit.” We felt inspired by the idea behind the 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman. Just like knowing your love language can strengthen your relationships, so can knowing your own “core fruit.” We believe leading with the fruit of the Spirit helps us to relate better to God, and in turn others.
Your “core fruit” might be peace if:
-You live in the moment
-You are rarely anxious
-You practice mindfulness
-You are content
-You seek win-win solutions
Questions to think about:
How would you define “peace”? What is preventing you from having peace? Are you being led by the Spirit or your own desires?
