Fruit of the Spirit – Peace
The word ‘peace’ appears nearly 429 times in the Bible, which helps us understand it is so important to the faith community.
A Strong Desire
One of the strongest human desires is for peace. Whether it be peace between nations, between neighbors, or even within our own minds (Romans 8:6). If you’re a member of the fitness and wellness community, you might well desire “peace with your body”. Peace is listed as one of the top three characteristics of the fruit of the spirit. Without love, joy and peace, the rest of the fruits are not possible. God has called us as Christians to be peacemakers. But God is also the source of peace (Philippians 4:9, Colossians 3:15)
God’s perfect peace (John 14:27, John 16:33) is an amazing gift that is hard to understand. The fruit of the Spirit of peace provides the mind with contentment even in less-than-peaceful situations.
Peace Of Mind & Body
How can I find peace of mind when things are falling apart around me? Can I feel peaceful when I’m doing all the right things and I still can’t fit in my clothes? How can I find peace when I’ve stewarded my body so well and yet my cholesterol numbers are still high? Can I feel peaceful about how I look when all my friends on social media ‘look better than me’?
How can I come to a peaceable meeting with an “awkward” body?
The following is excerpted from a devotional (09/17/2020) written by Ms. Amerine and posted to Proverbs31 Ministries
Too many of us have been painfully trained — by ourselves and the world — to believe our bodies aren’t normal or beautiful unless they are in “perfect” proportions. Tell me, please … where is the Bible verse to help the woman who feels too short, too top-heavy, too thin, too tall or too wide?
Ah, yes, here it is:
“So God cr
eated mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27).
OK … but when He created me in His image, was He aware of the upcoming skinny jean fad? Because that is definitely not a look I can pull off. And why are they called “skinny jeans” when they can be found in the Women’s World section under 28 plus-plus?
It seems we’re always chasing an unending quest for perfection. We have our credit cards armed and ready to try something, anything, to achieve something else. Something close to “perfect.”
So, friend, tell me, what is perfect? And who first drew our eyes down to look at our belly buttons and begin to pick ourselves apart by questioning, “What is wrong with me?” I submit that self-hatred keeps us focused on self and not on God and all He has planned for us.
And this, this is huge: I believe the enemy uses shame to keep us stuck.
How dare we be ashamed of the temple where God has chosen to dwell?
If you are ashamed, friend, maybe you have neglected the truth of exactly who you are. I know this was true of me. And I wasn’t just guilty of overconsumption, an abnormal affection for soft cheeses and a partiality to napping. I was ashamed of who I was. And if I was ashamed of who I was, the size on my clothes, my hairstyle, marathon medals or prescription medications weren’t ever going to matter.
Until I was able to accept God’s forgiveness AND stop being ashamed of myself, there would be no progress. So, I wrote it out:
You are the daughter of the Most High. He died for you so He would be with you for eternity. He did this so you would never face condemnation, ever. You are whole and complete. He wants you to live a life of abundant peace and joy and share it with others, so they too will know of His goodness. This is the Good News.
Discussion Questions:
- Is there a person (or person) who exhibits “peace” to you? Who? Why? What do you see in his/her life?
- Can a person live a peaceful life and still not know the peace of God? Explain
- How much of your own sense of peace is related to circumstances, relationships, or inner calm instead of the Lord?
- Peace is not the absence of turmoil, but the presence of tranquility even while in a place of chaos. Peace is a sense of wholeness and completeness that is content knowing that God controls the events of the day. So ask yourself: Do I find myself frazzled by the crashing waves of turmoil in my life? Or am I experiencing “the peace that passes all comprehension” (Philippians 4:6-7)?
Bible References:
Benedictions of Paul
One Who Pursues Peace
Other Resources:
- Daily Scripture For Finding Inner Peace
- Finding Peace When We Are Tempted to Panic
- 3 Ways To Make Peace With Your Body
