Peace?

Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve begun a new series based on Galatians chapter five about the Fruit of the Spirit. For those who missed Colleen and Stephen’s messages, this series is not about self-improvement or trying harder, but about what grows naturally when our lives are rooted in the Spirit of God.  

Stephen’s image in particular resonated with many. He spoke about love as the soil, the environment in which everything else grows. He connected love with Te Ao Māori concept of manaakitanga: love expressed through care, hospitality, and lifting the dignity of others. Fruit doesn’t appear because a tree strains; it appears because the conditions are right. 

As I’ve been preparing for upcoming messages on peace, gentleness, and self-control, I’ve found myself walking through one of the busiest and most complicated weeks I’ve had in a long time. Many tasks and deadlines, and a looming, intense trip to the USA and Colombia next week. It’s been the kind of week where peace, gentleness, and self-control could quietly slip away, replaced by anxious distraction, sharp words, or a short fuse.

I’ve been challenged to ask myself: what is the soil I’m growing out of right now? What does love, joy, and peace look like in the face of intensity rather than the absence of it?

I’m realising again that peace doesn’t start with calm circumstances, but with trust– trust in the one I am serving, Jesus, the one I follow. When my responses are unhealthy, it’s often because I’ve stopped trusting God’s goodness and promises to me as I seek His Kingdom and righteousness. As I have gone through this week, I have sensed a shift in the way I respond to challenges as I reframe how I think and relate to God during it. 

And as we gather this week to reflect on peace and trust, here’s a question to sit with: What kind of fruit is growing in your life right now, and what kind of soil are you rooted in?
And please read Galatians chapter five before Sunday 

Adam