[Pearls Ep. 120: Monday Motivation]
We’ve been looking at the gift of peace which Jesus offers to us, a peace which the world cannot give us. Christ’s peace is the peace that comes from doing the will of God. And the closer we draw to Christ, the more naturally we live in God’s will.
Here’s a superficial, but relatable analogy – Steve recalls as a kid often not wanting to do what his parents wanted – especially in the homework department. And then would follow anxiety about tests and late nights to crank out procrastinated assignments. Not very peaceful. When he finally came to his senses and improved his study habits (when he aligned his will with his parent’s) voila!, peace followed (and improved grades).
Christ’s peace is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. The more the Holy Spirit operates in and through us, the more we experience the fruits of His presence. In the tradition of Saints Augustine and Aquinas, the fruit of peace follows the fruits of charity (love of God) and joy (delighting in Godly things). The more we grow in love of God (charity) the more we find joy in loving what God loves and choosing what God would have us choose. And then follows His peace.
The fruits of the Holy Spirit reflect a re-ordering of our interior. We can’t fake them. There’s no “life hack” that will bring the true peace of Christ.
Fruits of the Spirit vs Emotions
We can appreciate the fruits of the Spirit if we compare them to emotional impulses. Let’s take “outburst of fury” as an example. An outburst of fury is the sin of rage or extreme and unjustified anger. This sort of fury simply wells up in us, unbidden and uncontrolled. Yes, sometimes (Heaven help us) we work ourselves into a boiling little pot of rage when we anticipate some insult coming our way. Most times, however, rage just wells up from deep within. We don’t make the rage happen and we can’t fake authentic rage. That is the main point – it wells up from within us.
The fruits of the Spirit operate in a similar way – but have a different cause. In this example, the outburst of rage comes from our disordered emotions. Now let’s look at the fruit of peace. This is the peace possessed by Christ even during His passion- His torture and death. If you have ever experienced this peace, then you know what it is. Even amidst trials, the heart is at peace. It is independent of circumstances. It just wells up from within us.
So the path to peace is to love God. And one of the most direct paths to loving God is to spend time with Christ – meditating on His life in the Gospels.
Blessings on your journey with Christ –
Steve and Karen Smith
Interior Life
Postscript: “My peace I give to you.” Jn 14:23-29
Jesus said to his disciples: “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me.
“I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me tell you, ‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe.”