But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23 ESV)
We all want peace, don't we? Well, I'd hope so - peace was central to Jesus' ministry on earth, and little is more glorifying and pleasing to God than to see us, His children, be at peace with those around us. But the reality is that for most of us, "peace" is much harder to obtain than it sounds. If you are one of these people, let me give you a bit of encouragement - there's hope for change!
The source for this hope lies right at the beginning of the verse we've been looking at: "But the fruit of the Spirit is..." Think about that. There is a reason this verse does not say, "But the fruit of a man's heart is..." and the reason for that is because without Christ our hearts are not capable of these things. We have been so polluted by sin that we seek only for our own satisfaction, our own benefit, and only by the Spirit of God can we begin to experience these life-changing fruits.
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. (Ezekiel 36: 26-27 NIV)
This is good news! No, this is great news! God promises to give us a new heart, and by His Spirit, lead us to follow in His decrees. No longer do we have to be at enmity with those around us. Rather, He gives us the grace to make peace with even those we may despise, and He teaches us to love them as He loves us, whether or not they choose to return this peace and love to us. Is there someone in your life whose relationship with you is not characterized by this God-given peace? If so, I'd encourage you to pray for this peace and love to flow from the Spirit of God into your heart, and from your heart out into the lives of all those around you. Remember:
Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. (Matthew 5:9 NKJV)
Blessings,
Andrew
