Peace
Philippians 4:7(NLT) tells us, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” We cannot expect supernatural yummies to be made from natural ingredients. Peace is something only God can give us. It bypasses the understanding of our minds and places a shield around hearts and minds as they are blanketed in God’s peace. It is an inexplicable calm and comfort that soothes every aspect of our being.
The world is a complex place. It’s rocky terrain, but Jesus Christ made it clear to us that it would be. Our aim as sons and daughters of God is to introduce His peace in everything we do. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 5:9(NIV), “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” You and I don’t have any peace to offer of our own. We are privileged to introduce God’s peace by simply allowing the Spirit to work in us in all situations.
We must not add to the chaos and confusion of the world by letting our emotions coax us into mirroring it. Heavenly Father tells us in Romans 12:2 that we shouldn’t be conformed to this world and its customs and behaviors. Instead, He tells us to allow Him to transform us as we commit to change the way we think. Our commitment to change the way we think signals our surrender to the Holy Spirit. He produces peace in us as we think thoughts that are in line with the promises God has made in His Word.
Patience
The indwelling Holy Spirit longs to demonstrate his character through us and patience is one of the areas where we stifle him most. We live in an ‘want it on the double’ culture, and believers in the Lord Jesus Christ have to be very careful, because many of us are buying into what the world is selling. We want God to answer our prayers according to our own timetable, and we neglect the truth that His timing is forever and always perfect.
Patience is the quality of remaining at peace and being calm through delays or trouble. It conveys our confidence in the reality that God is in control and our lives are totally in His protective care. We sometimes struggle with this because most of us would like to believe that we are in control. Impatient people typically feel as though something might slip through the cracks or they might slip through it themselves if things don’t go their way. We have our own agendas and there are occasions, when things are not going according to our plans, that we become upset and impatient. God is brilliant beyond brilliance.
He tells us in Proverbs 19:21 that we can make many plans, but His purpose will have the final say. Resting in the wisdom of Proverbs 19:21 will help us cultivate patience. By doing this, we will train our hearts to be comforted by God’s peace in all situations. We will settle ourselves in the reality that we’re not in control of situations, conditions, or people. We can only control ourselves according to God’s standard by not losing our cool when things are going haywire.
Ephesians 4:2(NLT) instructs us to “Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.” We should not be impatient with others, because the Holy Spirit has given us all we need to demonstrate the patience of Christ in every situation. Sure, there will be individuals that do not always behave well, but this doesn’t mean that we use their unkindness as an excuse to step away from Godly discipline. We must choose to show patience, and the Holy Spirit will back us up and really pour it on.
Kindness
Ephesians 4:32(ESV) tells us, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Through his life and ministry on earth, our blessed Lord and Savior has given us an extraordinary example of the nine manifestations of the Spirit’s fruit, but none can argue that the kindness he demonstrated towards others warms the heart. Our Heavenly Father set the benchmark for kindness by saving us through His precious Son, and it is through our Lord and Savior that the Father’s heart is revealed. John 3:16(NLT) tells us, “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” Our gratitude for what God has done should be expressed by the kindness we show to everyone we meet.
Kindness reflects God’s nature. It is behavior that is clothed in generosity, thoughtfulness, and concern for others, without expecting anything in return. It’s showing others God’s goodness through our own actions and deeds. The exact life of Christ is on full display in us, because through Christ, we are son and daughters of God. As we allow the Spirit to work in us by showing kindness to others, it is infectious. Once set in motion, like all the Spirit’s fruit, kindness continues to multiply.
Sometimes, it’s not the really big things, but the small acts of kindness that mean the most to God and to other people. Kindnesses like remembering special days that are important to others and remembering to speak words of encouragement; these make a significant impact in people’s lives. Many of us overlook things like this. We’re busier than ever these days but improving our demonstration of kindness is a must and should be our constant prayer. We have a responsibility to leave a lasting mark of God’s love. It should be our continual habit pattern to always leave a situation better than it was before we came. People should be better and enriched in some way for having crossed our paths. This is what it means to be kind, and if you have any doubt as to whether you’re leaving this mark of spiritual goodness, continue to pray as the Holy Spirit leads you to bless others with kindness.■
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“The Spirit’s Fruit- Part 2”, written for SMS Member Services.com Copyright© 2023.