I. A Quick Review
We have, earlier in this site, been looking at the Fruit of the Spirit and relating that fruit to the Christian’s day-to-day life. Rather than relegating this subject to the ether of winsome spirituality, we are attempting to show how these qualities effect how we live our lives. According to Galatians 5:22 and 23, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Last installment we examined the concept of Love, pointing out that love, as used in the Bible, is not some misty-eyed emotion. Rather, it is a commitment to the well being of the object of that love. God gave His only Son because He loves us. The Son gave Himself because of His love for us. Husbands are to give of themselves because of their love for their wives.
The next two qualities of the fruit of the Spirit are joy and peace. Immediately we have to ask, ?What are these? That is, what do they look like in the life of a believer??
It?s difficult to discuss one of these two qualities without discussing the other. Perhaps that is one of the reasons they appear together, here and in several other verses. Joy and peace tend to go together. Without joy, there can be no peace. And without peace, joy is most elusive. One seems to feed the other, no matter which you start with.
II. Joy and Peace?
Although my English Composition teacher said it was bad form, let’s first look at what joy and peace are not. Perhaps by doing this we can back into what joy and peace are. Besides, she’s not here right now.
First, joy is not the same as happiness. Happiness is very dependent on one’s circumstances. Stuff makes me happy. All things being equal, wealth is better than poverty. Health is generally preferable to sickness. And employment is to be valued over unemployment. And although I may be deliriously happy because I got exactly the job I wanted, this happiness can be quickly erased with a small change in circumstances. How many of you have had a great job and a Boss from Hell?
However, God promises us joy despite our circumstances. In James, chapter 1, verse 2, James quickly tells the dispersed Jews to count it JOY when they encounter various trials. In 2 Corinthians, chapter 8, verses 1 and 2 Paul speaks of the churches of Macedonia. He says that even in their great affliction and deep poverty, they had an abundance of joy. In Peter’s first epistle, chapter 1, verse 7 and 8, he talks about the result of undergoing fiery trials: joy. Clearly joy is not a matter of circumstances.
But what of peace? Some would compare peace to security. If I know that I will have a well paying job far into the future, perhaps I can have some peace about my life. Or if I know my children will all go to college and become productive members of society, and die long, long after I do, perhaps then I can experience peace. Of maybe a long lost uncle will bequeath me $500 million, pretty much setting me for life. Surely then I can have peace.
But I suggest that peace, as with joy, is not a matter of circumstances. Many very wealthy people, when they discovered that money did not give their lives meaning, or get rid of the pain (emotional or physical) they felt, have chosen to end their lives in despair. Far from bringing peace, their money merely emphasized the fact that they had nothing of any real worth to go with the money. Peace is not an absence of worry. And it certainly isn’t a sort of apathy.
Neither peace nor joy is a result of money, security, possessions, or circumstances. Both are a directly related to my relationship and consistent fellowship with God the Father through Jesus Christ.
So how can I experience joy and peace?
III. Experiencing Them
Joy is a matter of deep fellowship between God and the believer. As I come to understand who God is and what He wants to do in my life I experience joy. As I see God working in my life to conform me to the image of His son, I experience joy. As I see other believers growing in Christ becoming all God wants them to become, I experience joy. Joy is my eager acceptance of God?s working in my life and in the lives of those around me. Thus, joy can be experienced in both pleasant and unpleasant circumstances, during both good and bad times. Then we can begin to “count it all joy” as we are instructed in James 1:2.
And of course, if we trust God to work in our lives, if we have faith in His character, in His power, and in His wisdom, we know that we can trust what He is doing through my circumstances. And with that confidence comes peace, a willingness to accept God?s will in my life, however that will is manifested.
It?s not a matter of apathy, nor a denial of reality, nor an attempt on my part to attempt to speak some reality into existence. Rather, peace is a matter of knowing that God is in control and that all things work together for good in my life (Romans 8:28).
Joy and peace are a result of walking in faith, trusting God to work in my life for my good as He defines good. Joy is my pleasure in His work. Peace is the result of my complete acceptance of what God is going in my life.
Both require an understanding of who God is, a knowledge of what He wishes to do in my life, and a willingness to obey Him, no matter what the cost. When we do these, we can experience God’s joy and His peace; no matter the circumstances, whether you?re a wife married to an unsaved husband or an employee working for an unjust boss.
:lol:...
No comments yet.