FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT—PEACE
In a dream, I saw a hallway stretched for what seemed like miles in front of me. The rushing sound of bodies moving mimicked that of a muffled scream. Heart racing, I willed myself forward. One man was entering an elevator, while the other man—my brother—was being strangled by a stranger against the wall. I leapt forward in a futile attempt to save him, only to fall face-first. The sound of my brother’s body slamming against the ground echoed in my ears like the base blaring in back of a trunk. I didn’t hear him scream once, just the occasional gust of wind leaving his body blow after blow. His face remained taut, eyes glazed over with no thought behind them, blood running down the front of his face like the overflow of a drink filled beyond its capacity. His arms, gently bent at the elbows, swinging in the wind with no clear direction, why isn’t he fighting back I thought.
The cherry red gloss of a fire hydrant caught my eye in my peripheral vision. Finally, I thought, it was almost over. I grabbed the fire hydrant and swung it at the stranger’s head, but he didn’t budge. Slipping into the small space between him and my brother, I cried, “Stop! Leave him alone!” Daniel, now limp, eyes bruised and swollen, lay still across my lap.
My eyes shot open, a pool of sweat or tears landing perfectly on my collarbone. By this time, Credo stirred for a second before turning his face towards me.
“Bad dream?”
“Yes.”
“About us?”
“No. I don’t want to talk about it.”
It was 5:45 by this time, and I still hadn’t managed to go back to sleep. Slipping out of bed and into the living room, I asked God to help me. Unsure of how that would manifest, I expected Him to show up. As I lay there, I remembered missing a few days of reading my Bible. Deciding His word would be where I would find Him today, I picked up where I left off—John 11, which happens to be about Lazarus being brought back to life by Jesus.
The only peace that lasts and withstands is the peace afforded to us through Jesus Christ.
I was inconsolable when I woke up from my dream. No thoughtful words from my husband or journaling or positive thinking would bring me any solace. It was only by the word of God that I was able to know true peace. To outsource anything or anybody to fulfill a need only God can is foolish, one could even say it’s idolatry.
I could have stayed on track with my reading plan and read John 11 days ago, but God knew that on this day I would have this dream. He knew that the only thing that was going assure me of His presence and thoughtfulness towards me was to read a story about two sisters mourning the death of their brother and the miracle of his restoration to life by Jesus Christ. When I tell you God knows me AND thinks about me AND is so good to me, I mean it.
He didn’t leave me alone or ignore my cry for Him. In a scenario where in the grand scheme of things—wars, death, rape, hunger, poverty— all matter much more, He still showed up for me. Are y’all seeing the character of this God?
Let’s consider a foundational scripture about peace
Philippians 4:6 “Don’t be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
In order to access peace God is telling us to:
PRAY—with supplication (humbly plead) and thanksgiving (express gratefulness and expectancy for what He has and will do)
SHARE YOU TRUE HEART—in making my requests known to God, I have to say what is truly burdening me. Lying to a God that knows my every thought is silly business. Don’t be a fool.
BE IN JESUS— We have to be in Christ to access the promises and power of God.
It isn’t enough to read scripture and let it all flat to the ground. In order for you to live well you have to know God well. In order to know God well you have to know Jesus well. Where do you learn about Jesus? The B I B L E.
tHE FRUIT WE BEAR IS a direct reflection of who we are connected to
We all bear fruit, ripe or raw, bruised or spotless, we are replenishing the earth with something. In scriptures it discusses the fruit of any believer being love, joy, peace, gentleness goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. The only way bear to the fruit of the Holy Spirit is to have the Holy Spirit. The only way to have the Holy Spirit is through the salvation awarded to us through Jesus Christ.
In our nature we are prone to unforgiveness and bitterness, righteous anger and competition, pride and fickleness, fear and anxiety. When we allow ourselves or the pains of this world to be our source, the fruit we bear is sour, sometimes even rotten. When we allow heavenly peace to guard our hearts and minds we show up with God differently which then causes us to show up for others differently.
In a moment when fear gripped me, my understanding of the power of God, my obedience to scripture, and my willingness to wait for His answer allowed me to experience a peace that changed the course of my entire day. In order to bear the fruit of peace you have to be filled with it by your connection to God.
