Fruit Of The Spirit - Peace (sermon Blog)
We all want peace.
We want peace in our minds, peace in our relationships, peace in our homes, and peace when the world around us feels anything but peaceful.
But sometimes peace can be difficult to find.
As we continue through Galatians 5 and the Fruit of the Spirit, we come to peace. The Hebrew word for peace is shalom, and it means much more than simply the absence of conflict. Shalom describes wholeness and completeness—health, safety, well-being, emotional security, and harmony in every area of life.
So the question for us is:
What is robbing your peace?
Peace Is a Gift Before It Is a Practice
Before we talk about how to pursue peace, we need to understand where peace comes from.
Peace is a gift before it is a practice.
Jesus told His disciples:
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.”
The world's peace tends to depend on circumstances. When our relationships are good, finances are stable, health is good, and life seems under control, we feel peaceful.
But Jesus offers something deeper.
He was preparing His disciples for incredibly difficult circumstances when He promised them peace. Later, He told them plainly:
“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Jesus never promised us a trouble-free life. Instead, He promised us His peace in the middle of our trouble.
So if Jesus offers us peace, what keeps us from experiencing it?
1. Worry, Stress, and Anxiety Rob Us of Peace
One of the greatest enemies of peace is worry.
Jesus spoke directly about this in Matthew 6:
“Do not worry about everyday life…”
He reminds us that God cares for the birds and provides for them—and we are infinitely more valuable to Him.
Then Jesus asks a practical question:
“Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?”
Worry doesn't add anything to our lives. In fact, stress and anxiety can take something away from us.
Yet when we're overwhelmed, it's easy to become completely focused on the problem. We replay it, analyze it, imagine every possible outcome, and try to figure everything out ourselves.
Scripture gives us another option.
Turn Your Worries Into Prayers
Philippians 4:6–7 says:
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
And what happens next?
The peace of God guards our hearts and minds.
Instead of repeatedly worrying about something, we can catch ourselves and say:
“I'm going to pray about this.”
We can bring God:
The situation we can't control
The decision we don't know how to make
The future we're afraid of
The person we're worried about
The problem that seems impossible
Sometimes our anxiety reveals that we've made our problem bigger than our view of God.
But God is bigger than the problem in front of us.
If you care about something, God cares—because He cares about you.
2. Relationship Conflicts Rob Us of Peace
We can have a successful career, a nice home, money in the bank, and good health—but unresolved relationship conflict can still rob us of peace.
Conflict follows us.
We may find ourselves:
Replaying an argument in our mind
Preparing our next defense
Avoiding a conversation we know we need to have
Waiting for the other person to make the first move
None of those things actually resolve the conflict.
Jesus said:
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
Notice that Jesus said peacemakers, not simply peacekeepers.
A peacekeeper may avoid conflict because it's uncomfortable.
A peacemaker is willing to move toward a difficult situation and pursue resolution.
That's not always easy. It takes courage.
As Pastor Steve put it:
“The depth of our relationship with people will only go as far as our willingness to have uncomfortable conversations.”
Practical Steps to Resolve Conflict
Romans 12:18 gives us realistic wisdom:
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
We can't control how another person responds, but we can take responsibility for our part.
Here are some practical steps toward becoming a peacemaker:
Examine your contribution to the conflict. Even if the other person is mostly responsible, honestly own your part.
Apologize specifically where you've done wrong. Avoid responses such as, “I'm sorry you feel that way,” which can dismiss the other person's hurt.
Listen before defending yourself. Sometimes conflicts escalate because we're preparing our response instead of truly listening.
Refuse gossip and retaliation. They only add fuel to the conflict.
Pursue forgiveness and appropriate reconciliation.
There is an important distinction here: pursuing peace does not mean abandoning necessary boundaries or remaining in a dangerous situation.
Romans 12 says, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you…”
Sometimes reconciliation isn't possible. We can still pursue peace without giving someone unrestricted access to continue hurting us.
3. Neglecting Our Relationship With Christ Robs Us of Peace
Last week we learned that Christ is the ultimate source of our joy.
He is also the ultimate source of our peace.
When our relationship with God is healthy, we can face a lot. But when we begin neglecting that relationship, we often start feeling unsettled.
Proverbs 14:30 says:
“A heart at peace gives life to the body.”
Psalm 4:8 says:
“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.”
Pastor Steve summarized it simply:
No Jesus — No Peace
Know Jesus — Know Peace
Following Jesus isn't meant to be something we do only during emergencies. Peace grows as we consistently walk with Christ.
So how can we deepen that relationship?
Prayer: Check In With Christ Daily
Prayer is where we begin.
One simple tool is the ACTS prayer model:
Adoration — Begin by praising God for who He is.
Confession — Honestly bring your sin and failures before Him.
Thanksgiving — Remember your blessings and thank God for what He has done.
Supplication — Bring your needs, worries, relationships, and requests to Him.
Prayer helps settle our hearts because it reminds us that we aren't carrying life alone.
Scripture: Let God's Word Shape Your Perspective
The way we interpret our circumstances matters.
Instead of seeing everything only through the lens of culture, social media, or our own fears, we can allow Scripture to shape how we see the world.
God's Word gives us a larger perspective—one filled with hope, faith, and trust.
Obedience: Act on What God Is Asking You to Change
Jesus said that if we love Him, we will obey Him.
Obedience is ultimately an expression of trust.
When we obey God, we're saying, God, I trust that Your way is better than mine.
Fellowship: Stay Connected to People Who Strengthen Your Faith
We weren't meant to follow Jesus alone.
We need people around us who will:
Encourage our faith
Pray with us
Study Scripture with us
Help us stay connected to Christ
Christian community helps us continue walking with God when life becomes difficult.
Trust: Surrender the Outcomes You Cannot Control
This may be one of the hardest practices of all.
Most of us like having some control over our lives. But there will always be situations we simply cannot control.
Peace comes when we can honestly say:
“God, I can't control this outcome, but I can trust You with it.”
Trust doesn't guarantee that we'll get the outcome we wanted.
It means we believe God loves us and will be with us whatever the outcome may be.
In the World—Trouble. In Christ—Peace.
The goal isn't to work hard enough to earn peace.
The goal is to remain close to the One who gives it.
Jesus said:
“My peace I give to you, not as the world gives…”
And He gave us an important contrast:
In the world — trouble.
In Christ — peace.
Those two things can actually exist at the same time.
We can experience turbulent circumstances and still have peace.
We can walk through uncertainty and still have peace.
We can face something we never wanted to face and still experience a peace that transcends understanding.
That's the peace Jesus offers.
So ask yourself today:
What is robbing your peace?
Is it worry, stress, or anxiety? Turn it into prayer.
Is it an unresolved relationship? Ask God for the courage and wisdom to pursue peace.
Have you neglected your relationship with Christ? Today is the perfect time to come back.
The world around us may not suddenly become peaceful.
But in Jesus, we can experience shalom—the deep and profound peace only He can give.