Peace — Fruit of the Spirit
When life feels overwhelming, our first instinct is often to search for calm. We try to regain balance through control—by planning carefully, managing outcomes, and doing everything we can to keep the ground beneath us steady. We hope that if circumstances settle, our hearts will follow.
Scripture offers a different picture.
Peace, the third Fruit of the Spirit, does not grow from circumstances being arranged just right. It does not depend on certainty or predictability. Peace grows when we learn to trust—when we release our grip and allow God to hold what we cannot.
Peace is cultivated slowly. It forms in stillness, not in urgency. It is tended in prayer, where worries are spoken honestly and then placed into God’s care. It grows stronger when we choose rest over striving, and presence over panic. Like fruit developing quietly on the branch, peace matures over time as trust deepens.
The apostle Paul understood this kind of peace. He wrote about it not from a place of comfort, but from a prison cell. Though his circumstances were confined and uncertain, his heart remained guarded. He wrote, “The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” This peace did not come from escape. It came from Christ’s nearness.
Peace, as Scripture defines it, is not the absence of trouble. It is the presence of the Savior.
This peace steadies us when storms rise, and answers feel distant. It softens us when words are sharp, and tensions press in. It nourishes trust when the future remains unclear. Peace does not deny hardship; it meets us within it, holding us steady when circumstances cannot.
There are seasons when calm feels unreachable—when chaos intrudes, and fear feels loud. Even then, the Spirit offers a peace the world cannot give and cannot take away. It is not fragile. It does not shatter under pressure. It remains rooted in God's faithfulness.
True peace is not found in calm waters, but in the presence of Jesus. It is not something we achieve, but something we receive. As we abide in Him, peace becomes a quiet companion—guarding the heart, steadying the mind, and reminding us that we are not alone.
This is Peace—the third Fruit of the Spirit.
If this reflection was meaningful to you, you are welcome to continue walking with us through the Fruit of the Spirit series here at The Cardinal & the Dove. Read slowly, return often, and allow peace to take root in its time.
