The Letter to the Galatians tells us that the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Today we are talking about peace.
Peace can be defined by its opposite. Worry, anxiety, agitation, fear, and terror are all signs of an absence of peace. We lack peace when we feel threatened.
One cause of fear is the elusiveness of prosperity. The irony of our time is that we are so affluent and yet so many are close to financial ruin. One lay-off or illness and many of us are toast. Another cause of fear is the seeming absence of security. Many feel there is an excessive level of violence in our society. So far this year there have been 294 mass shootings, defined as four or more people killed or wounded. We desire prosperity and security. When we fear for either, we lose peace.
How do we find peace in a world that is not peaceful? Remember what we already know. We know that God is faithful. We know that God is our refuge and strength. We know we won’t fall out of the universe. How do we remind ourselves? Read the Bible. Pray. Go to church. Join a small group.
In our sermon this Sunday we will talk about peace, one of the fruits of the Spirit.