The Olive Branch

Welcome to the third blog in the “Fruitful” series! The fruit of the spirit we are talking about today is peace. Having peace is finding rest when you are tempted to worry. Which as we talked about last week, worry is a stealer of joy. John 14:27 says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (NIV) The world brings us troubles and worries, but our God brings us peace and rest. He is our safety in a broken world. Worry is not the only thing that can prevent our peace. Chaos can overwhelm us with anxiety and stress, but the Bible tells us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6 (NIV) God hears your prayers and sees your struggles even in the midst of chaos. Cast all your worries on him and he will give you peace. So, we see that God will give us peace and calm all our fears, but it doesn’t stop there. If we want to be Christ like we should be asking God to help us create peace as well. Matthew 5:9 says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (NIV) Things like gossiping, holding a grudge, antagonizing someone that’s in a bad mood, encouraging someone’s bad behavior, and anything else that disturbs peace should be avoided at all costs. James 1:19-20 says, “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” (ESV) Listening to someone and being understanding of them can be great tools in keeping peace with that person. Keeping the peace can be hard but we should always try, and sometimes all we can do is step away from a situation for a while. This week try your hardest to be a peacemaker and when you are feeling worry, seek peace from God. Thank you for reading!

Your Friend, Olivia