Fruit of the Spirit: Peace

Sorry for the lateness in my post on peace for this week. Inspiration was at the tip of my fingertips, so to speak, but just wouldn't make it's way out. Hope you've had a peaceful week. 


I don't know about you, but when I take a glance at the world around me, peace is not the first word that comes to my mind.

Chaos
Turmoil
Injustice
Hate
Anger
Bitterness
Unforgiveness
Worry
Anxiety
Rage
Oh, how I could go on and on.

Peace doesn't seem to come easily for most folks, even for many who consider themselves Christians.  Focusing on what's directly in front of them is easier than looking deeper to find the peace they long for. Philippians 4 reminds us not to worry - but to pray, asking God, thankfully for what we need, and He will give us peace.  Peace is a fruit of the Spirit. Therefore, we already have it. We just need to grab hold of it.

Jesus left us His peace. That "I'm-going-to-be-okay-because-I-know-the-Father-is-with-me" kind of peace that is beyond our comprehension. When the world is saying "WHY AREN'T YOU FREAKING OUT?!?!?", we can confidently say it's because God loves us enough to give us what we need to get through what we need to get through, even if it doesn't look how we think it should.

"I'm leaving you peace. I’m giving you my peace. I don’t give you the kind of peace that the world gives. So don’t be troubled or cowardly." ~ John 14:27

But wait... where does this peace come from? Jesus said these words, so we know they are true. But he's leaving (did you catch that in the first part?). He's not going to be around to calm the seas in the midst of the storm. If we look back a verse...

"The helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything. He will remind you of everything that I have ever told you." ~John 14:26

So, this peace that Jesus is leaving for us, it comes with Holy Spirit. Because He is in us, we have access to the peace that Jesus offers.

Embrace peace - don't let it get away! ~ Psalm 34:14

Once you grab on to peace, hold on to it! Don't let it slip away in a sea of anxiety and worry. Don't lose it in the midst of an argument. Don't misplace it when the storm winds come. When you have a hold of something loosely, it can easily slip away. When you embrace something, you hold on for dear life, as if letting go would let it fall out of reach forever. Embrace peace - don't let it get away!

‎"at the core of worry, we actually make ourselves our own god."

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Don't forget to check out the other bloggers in the series:

there is beauty in letting go ~ the rabbit hole chronicles ~ a joyful journal ~ the ever-changing thought ~ broken rubies ~ by feet or heart ~ apopipto lepis

Special Guest Blog: Peace

fruit.of.the.spirit.week.three.PEACE.

want peace?  take it, it's yours! more ramblings...

philippians4:4-7 rejoice in the Lord always.i will say it again: Rejoice! let your gentleness be evident to all. the Lord is near. do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. and the PEACE of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  v.8-9 finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. and the God of PEACE will be with you.

confession1: phil4:4-9 is my 'go to' scripture for peace. surely i sound like a broken record to people in my life, sharing it with every one. walking through this journey called life, i've not met anyone (yet) who always keeps their peace, but my heart and mind are convinced that it is possible. it takes practice! pray...read it...do it...read&pray some more...it works. i promise!  the key is doing it! (don't just listen to God's word. you must do what it says. otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. james 1:22 nlt)

my encouragement to you is dig in. really tear it apart, bit by bit, then walk it out. this is biblical principle with two promises of God's peace. (christy covered v.6-7 beautifully, so back up a bit) start right off with with the rejoicing part, you get to do that twice right off the bat! (phil4:4) then carry it out until the end (v.9). the more i do this, the easier and more natural it becomes. peace is a gift, it's always available to you. it came with Holy Spirit the day you accepted Christ as your Lord and Saviour! (if you haven't, it would be my pleasure to share this truth with you)

confession2: i didn't keep my peace a few times today, however, as i become more sensitive to Holy Spirit, seeking peace (ps34:14), changing my thinking (phil4:8-9), capturing negative thoughts (we demolish arguments&every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to christ.2cor10:5) is becoming a much easier process these days. i have many daily opportunities to practice!

so seek peace and pursue it! (the one who desires life, to love and see good days, must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deciet. he must turn away from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it.1peter3:10-11 &ps34:13-14niv) its right there anytime you need need it. besides, worrying can't add a day to your life. as a matter of fact, it takes days off. worry makes you sick! (can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?...do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorow will worry about itself. each day has enough trouble of its own. matt6:27-34niv. you should read the whole thing)

i believe two opposites of peace are worry&fear. (perfect love drives out fear 1jn4:18 but i'll save that for another time)

if you desire peace, if you regularly think, "if i could just have some peace," go get it! it's yours for the taking! like joy from last week, its not about your circumstances. you can have peace in the storm! Jesus said it, so i know it's true!

grace & PEACE,

margie                       

doh.margie@gmail.com  twitter:margiedoh  facebook:margie doherty

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there is beauty in letting go ~ the rabbit hole chronicles ~ a joyful journal ~ the ever-changing thought ~ broken rubies ~ by feet or heart ~ apopipto lepis

Fruit of the Spirit: Peace