Peace.....Resting in God.
Typically we think of peace as the absence of irritation. A quiet afternoon composed of naptime for the children and a cup of Joe with a good book for us. No phone calls, No early awakenings, and No to-do-list.
Well, the fruit listed in Galations 5 conveys something different than our definition of Peace. It's less about real life lining up according to our desires and more about our desires lining up to real life.
Peace is the result of resting in a relationship with God.
Peace can come in all the busy circumstances of our lives, because peace comes in a relationship with a God who is with us in the Stormiest of times. Peace peeled away is no longer the expectation that we will find it in the absence of irritation and instead embraces the calm that comes from resting in the midst of it.
Strive to be a Christ Follower.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Joy
The Second Fruit is Joy. The Old Testament describes joy as a quality of life as well as an emotion. The spontaneous songs of worship contained in Psalms illustrate this kind of joy. Joy is something deep that celebrates God's character despite the circumstances.
In the New Testament, joy is often expressed as ecstasy, a feeling of amazement, an uninhibited response to God's grace and presence in our days. The fruit of joy is confidence in God. Joy is confidence in God's grace, despite circumstances, despite what happens. Joy is the ability to hold up because we know we are being held up. Joy is the conviction that God is in control of every detail of our lives even when those details appear to be out of control.
We've watched God working in so many moments of life; good, bad, confusing, sorrowful, challenging, unfathomable; when we are joyful, we are wrapped up by our observations and held in place, knowing clearly that just as God came through before, he will come through again. Joy has a way of buoying us up in the midst of the unpredictable. We're somehow hopeful. Strong. Clear. Confident. We still wonder, worry, and cry. We are fearful, but beneath all these feelings is the comforting thought that we are held in God's hands.
Joy unpeeled reveals to us and to others, what we believe about God. We know He has us, He has our backs!
Strive to be a Christ Follower.
In the New Testament, joy is often expressed as ecstasy, a feeling of amazement, an uninhibited response to God's grace and presence in our days. The fruit of joy is confidence in God. Joy is confidence in God's grace, despite circumstances, despite what happens. Joy is the ability to hold up because we know we are being held up. Joy is the conviction that God is in control of every detail of our lives even when those details appear to be out of control.
We've watched God working in so many moments of life; good, bad, confusing, sorrowful, challenging, unfathomable; when we are joyful, we are wrapped up by our observations and held in place, knowing clearly that just as God came through before, he will come through again. Joy has a way of buoying us up in the midst of the unpredictable. We're somehow hopeful. Strong. Clear. Confident. We still wonder, worry, and cry. We are fearful, but beneath all these feelings is the comforting thought that we are held in God's hands.
Joy unpeeled reveals to us and to others, what we believe about God. We know He has us, He has our backs!
Strive to be a Christ Follower.
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