The Fruit of The Spirit - Peace.

Welcome back to my blog. Today, we are looking at peace!

The Holy Spirit produces various fruit in our lives. The bible tells us in Matthew 7:16-20:

“Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”

We are taught to know people by their fruits. If someone is a good person it will be evident in their character and their behaviour. On the contrary if someone brings forth bad fruit it will also be evident. As children of God if we say we love God and we follow Him, then our fruit should introduce us before we even speak. When people see us they should see a reflection of Christ within us. We should be producing fruit and if we are not then there is work to do!

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.” - Galatians 5:22-26.

- We learn more about the fruit of the Spirit in this scripture. We learn that there is not just one characteristic of the fruit of the Spirit, but we learn there are quite a few. It may seem overbearing, but once you are able to master one fruit of the Spirit, the other characteristics will fall into place naturally as The Holy Spirit leads us and works through us. I believe this is why the word ‘fruit’ was used and not ‘fruits’ because once you have one of the characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit, you will be able to access and exhibit the other characteristics also because they work together.

- It becomes up to you to continuously nurture the fruit of the Spirit and to try not to do anything opposing God’s word that may cause you to not exhibit the fruit of the Spirit. Dying to self daily, seeking God’s face and genuinely striving to have a closer walk with God will help you along the way. With that said we are all human beings and we all have the tendency to slip up at times, but because of God’s grace and mercy we can come to Him with a repentant heart. However, we must be sincere and know that we have the assurance that our Father in heaven will forgive us our trespasses, so long as we forgive those who trespass against us.

“For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.” - Ephesians 5:8-10.

We no longer walk in darkness, we walk in the light because we know that we are children of the most High. There is a high calling on our lives where we can walk with our head held high knowing that we are loved and have been redeemed by our Saviour. Walking in the light means that we no longer cling to who we once were, words we once said or things we once did. We walk differently because we strive to make our Father proud. We care little of what the world says and more about what God says. The love He has for us is one we can search the world for, but we will not be able to find such because God loves us differently!

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We are living in very peculiar and tense times. Times where we can become anxious, weary and quite honestly scared because of all the uncertainty around us. 2020 in particular was undoubtedly one of the most challenging years we have probably all ever experienced. It was a year where so much was changing around us, so much was happening, but we were comforted by knowing that God never changes. The world will pass away one day, but God’s word will still stand. People will change on you, but God never will. We are taught to place our hope in Christ and Christ alone. Psalm 33:20-21, “Our soul waiteth for the Lord: He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name.” We must ensure that we stay rooted and grounded in God, He is our only hope.

Where does your peace come from?

If you were speaking to a new believer, how would you encourage them to pursue and experience God’s peace?

Watching the news or looking at the media can make us feel down also. How can you channel your energy into doing something more productive?

Isaiah 43:1-7 states, “But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and He that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.”

- Why do you think God told His people not to be afraid?

- How do you deal with fears you may encounter in daily life?

The Lord comforts His people. Despite the condition Jacob and Israel were in, living in sin, He still promised to look after them. He would be present with them despite the challenges they face, despite the dangers and the adversities. God would never leave them alone. God’s promises are sure and are not to be questioned. If He says it He will do it.

Reflect on some scriptures relating to peace:

1. “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” - Psalm 27:1.

2. “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.” - Psalm 56:3-4.

3. “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” - Joshua‬ ‭1:9.

We have the assurance that true peace is found in Christ. We are in the world and although a lot of what happens can affect us, we know that we have access to eternal life with our Father in heaven to look forward to if we keep His commandments. Earth is not our final home. When we all meet Him we will have so much more to look forward to, we will live together in peace, love and harmony!

Jesus actually tells us, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33. So we have this to hold on to. Jesus overcame the world and I believe we can too!

If it starts to get a little bit too much remember to find rest in Jesus. The living God we serve goes before us and fights our battles so we do not have to! Taking on so much can also sometimes have adverse reactions and is not always the best thing for us.

1. If you feel overwhelmed, stop, pause and reflect. Have you been taking on too much lately? What do you need to let go of? What is disturbing your peace?

2. As believers we are to be peacemakers, not lovers of war or strife. Those characteristics do not reflect the fruit of the Spirit. God is a God of peace and as we are His children we should always strive for peace. “Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.” - 2 Thessalonians‬ ‭3:16‬.

3. Journal your feelings

4. Channel your energy and do things that bring you happiness.

5. Be careful what/who you entertain.

Be of good courage Mamas.

I encourage you all to walk with peace in your hearts, know the truth and share the gospel with others.

Did you find any scriptures on joy that they want to share?

What are your thoughts on the following? Comment down below and let’s talk!

1. Which verses stuck out to you?

2. Why do you think peace is so important?

3. Do you think we can live in a world without peace?

4. What can increase our feelings of peace?

5. Why should we have peace as believers?