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Peace?


Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?” (John 18:11)

            Peace has been on my mind recently. Christmas is often associated with "Peace on earth, good will toward men." As I scrolled through John looking for "Peace I give you, not as the world gives..." I came across today's passage. At first glance, it does and doesn't have to do with peace. Yes, Jesus commanded Peter to put his sword away, and that is one aspect of peace. But the other half of what He says is also about peace. "Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?" Whatever the Father said, Jesus accepted, even when it meant battling with Himself. He was at peace with the Father. 
           All peace requires absolute, unconditional surrender. The peace the world talks about is absolute, unconditional surrender to it. The peace God talks about is absolute, unconditional surrender to Him. The peace we naturally want is absolute, unconditional surrender to us. If only "they" would listen to me....  Whoever dictates the terms of that peace is the god of that relationship. 
            This morning, I find myself thinking back to my walk, during the prayer time in which I ask God to bless each residence I pass, my friends, relatives, neighbors and communities with some aspect of the fruit of the Spirit. No matter which one I asked, I think I have been sort of expecting God to bring "sweetness and light" into their lives. The truth of the matter is that I've been asking God to bring something powerful and difficult into their lives. As I consider the fruit of the Spirit, every one of them (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control) are hard. They are demanding. They are most powerfully expressed in the face of opposition. Perhaps that's why they are the fruit of the Spirit - because only God can bring them about in our lives, and that only with work. 
            And still, I will continue to pray for you all using the fruit of the Spirit, because while you might not see them as a blessing as they are worked into your life, they are.

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