Finding Peace in a World of Headlines
In the last three weeks there have been major headlines that have grabbed the attention of our nation. For my friends in Michigan, even more so.
No doubt, trauma triggered a familiar responses across my social media. Wounds that only festered in the last years exploded across the internet and throughout conversations with friends. In my own heart, I felt less grace for those I disagreed with. I realized some part of me was hoping verdicts would bring peace or understanding to myself and my communities.
Holy Spirit has reminded me, human responses will always be imperfect, for they are human. The message of Jesus is much harder. He chose to show love and compassion to those who disagreed fundamentally with His culture and upbringing. He even believed that God could use his enemies to accomplish the most important work for all eternity – the death and therefore resurrection of Jesus Christ.
I recently found myself disappointed and angry by a verdict that made national headlines. I knew I couldn’t respond out my anger, so I took it to Holy Spirit. I was surprised as He started growing compassion in me for someone I disagreed with. Perhaps what caught me the most off guard, was my desire to spiritually cover the accused in my prayers. The choice that they made would certainly impact the rest of his life.
If I am being sensitive to Holy Spirit, then when I am feeling zealous or passionate, I will still be manifesting the Fruit of Holy Spirit. This is the great squeezing. When I am squeezed by life’s circumstances, what I have been rehearsing in my heart comes out of me. That is why it matters what I watch, listen to, and think on.
The Fruit of Holy Spirit will never be hatred, discord, mockery, jealousy, rage or using circumstances to further your own agenda. Just check out Galatians 5:19-21. Galatians 5:26 goes further, “Let us not become conceited, provoking, and envying each other.”
Oh – there are times my human nature quickly judges, mocks, or becomes conceited. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love… joy… peace… patience… kindness… goodness… faithfulness… gentleness… and self-control.”
This is the better way. This is the way of Jesus. This is the way that points people to the work of the cross, reconciling people to Jesus Christ. Church, we serve a different God, we must be manifesting a different spirit.
The peace I longed to find in verdicts, I did not find. Where I did find peace was by loving people amid chaos, or in repenting of my own sinful responses.
In other words, where I found peace was in His way.