What has goodness to do with Love? Well, let’s break down what goodness meant to Paul and his readers in Thessoloniki, Corinth, Galatia, and Rome.

For us, in English, Goodness has to do with uprightness, good moral character, and the like. This is a close echo of this fairly unique word form of Agathos in the Koine of the day. So well, that word study was short…

What does morality have to do with love? If love is kind, gentle, humble, patient, and prefers others over self, then that sounds pretty darn moral, doesn’t it? That sounds more than just “good”, it sounds excellent. This is why goodness, in the fruit of the Spirit, is an aspect, or outgrowth of love. When we love perfectly, others become our primary concern, so we don’t do things that might inconvenience or hurt others, like lie, cheat, steal, or kill intentionally, it doesn’t even give quarter to things like envy or strife, or even offense leading to anger, bitterness, or resentment.

This is not to say that perfect love is humanly achievable here on earth, but as we grow in the likeness of Jesus, those hurts which cause us to hurt others, whether through action or inaction, spoken (idle) words, or even stray thoughts, become healed and we transform into little Christs. And the idea of fruit is that it grows when cultivated, just as we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, through the washing of water and the Word. This is the process of sanctification, becoming good as Christ is Good, perfect as our Heavenly Father is Perfect. Let me pose this question in closing… why would you say that morality or goodness, in this case, is not directly related to love?

Father,

Come and help me to be more receptive to the Holy Spirit’s shaping into the likeness of Christ. Help me to be a fertile place where goodness can grow in greater abundance. Bring your Holy Fire to cleanse and sanctify me even more today. That love would be my default rather than whatever flavor of hurt I may be experiencing on a given day. Help me to truly consider others above myself today, to cease to enforce what I would otherwise feel entitled to today, but instead give others their true due according to Heaven’s estimation. Give me your heart so that I can operate in goodness more today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

How is Peace related to Love? How is it an aspect of Grace, just as Joy is? First, we’re going to define peace, then I’ll show you that, and give you a quick list of ways that you can be more peaceful.

Biblical Peace is a very deep topic. There are a few words in each the Hebrew and the Greek which are typically rendered as “Peace” in English. The word that Paul used in Galatians 5:22 was a pretty standard word throughout the New Testament, particularly in his letters, often appearing in greetings and closings. It is the Greek term eirene, which has connotations of interpersonal harmony, salvation, the tranquil state of the Christian’s soul. In Hebrew, the main one is Shalom, which carries the connotation of blessing to the point of wholeness in all areas of life, and I would hazard a guess that this thought more than likely colored this former pharisee’s use of eirene in the Greek.

So, now that I have given a basic working definition of the term, what does that have to do with Love? Love, shown through grace, brings us peace because we can know that we are accepted 100% in Christ. There is no need to have fear (of punishment or personal judgment) toward God, because His Love is always toward us, working all things for our good (Romans 8:28). Not that we know how it will work out in the moment, but we know that it will. We can be at peace in the love of God, in the grace He has granted us, not only in each breath and heartbeat, but in the Reality of His promises for us. We can be at peace in the Truth of His acceptance of us in Christ.

That is how we can have peace, even when the news tells us that everything is burning and that we need to be anxious about every little thing. This is also how we can avoid the offense trap, which also steals our peace, because we become myopic on that which has offended (or continues to do so), rather than on Him, who is our peace.

Step 1:
Focus your attention on Heaven. Fix your eyes on Jesus, emphasize what ever is Good, what ever is True, What ever is Right, What ever is Pure, What ever is of Good Repute, What ever is Worthy of Loving, What ever is Upright, What ever is Worthy of Enthusiastic Praise… anything that does not fit in these paradigms is not worth your time or effort, and will ultimately destroy your peace (Philippians 4:8). Turn off the news, which is designed to hook us into a cycle of hyper-anxiety, and have peace no matter what Maddow, Lemon, and Cooper say… or Hannity, Carlson, and Ingraham for that matter. They are all implicated in this. That is not the point of this devotion, though. The point is showing you how to be at peace regardless of what is in the atmosphere.

Step 2:
Live a life of prayer and praise. This is not some pious, holier-than-thou mumbo-jumbo, what it is is simply this: what you focus on you empower. What you meditate on gains power over you. What do you want to grant to power in your life? Heaven, or hell? Peaceful things or fearful things? The promise is that when your life revolves around constant communion with God, His peace will overcome you, beyond all understanding, and guard your heart and mind in Him.(Philippians 4:6-7)

Lord,
By your precious blood, I command peace to come over all who read or listen to this. You paid for my shalom, and I repent of believing otherwise. I repent for filling my head and heart with news stories which inspire anything but peace. I ask that you would show me those things which are in keeping with Philippians 4:8 today. Help me to keep my mind on You above all the other noise today. When anxiety does start to creep in, I bring it under subjection to the mind of Christ, and choose to thank you for those “whatsoevers”, to lift up those requests before your throne, and take authority whenever it is mine to exercise, to change the situation(s) which are seeding anxiety in me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.