The Fruit of the Spirit: “Peace I Leave With You”

by David Chadwick

The third fruit of the Spirit is peace.

The movie Sister Act 2 has an incredible scene where the nuns perform the song “Ball of Confusion” in a nursing home. Every time I hear this song, I’m reminded that the chaos of humanity has always existed. There has never been a time in history where the devil has not desired to release a ball of confusion all over the world. As the song says, “So, round and around and around we go. Where the world’s headed, nobody knows.”

But in the midst of chaos, Jesus entered the chaos of this world and said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27).

As God’s children, there are two aspects of his peace that we have access to when we are rightly and securely abiding in his Spirit.

First, we have an eternal peace of knowing that we are no longer at war with God. He has reconciled us to himself. We are no longer his enemies. He now calls us friends (John 15:15). This peace accord with God, signed and sealed with Jesus’s blood, is irrevocable. Nothing, and I mean nothing, can ever separate us from his love!

Second, we have a present peace that is available to us each and every day. Because of Jesus, his Spirit now lives inside of us. So, when storms come, we can now hear Jesus’s voice saying to us, “Peace! Be still!” (Mark 4:39). Like any good Father, God desires to be on the boat with us as we face the storms of life.

Jesus promises to be with us always. Forever. Until the close of the age (Matthew 28:20). He will never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6).

And now, we can approach the throne of grace any time, any place, as God’s friends. God’s peace now resides in us and because of Jesus, we are now at peace with him. From that place of peace, we can boldly ask him anything and know that he hears us and will answer our every prayer according to his perfect will.

I pray for the Spirit to give you more peace today and each day moving forward until Jesus returns.