“So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;” James 1:19 New King James Version

If we don’t learn by listening, we will learn by experience. Staying on the listening road leads to a smoother path to our destiny. On the road of experience we will have accidents, bumps and bruises. Both paths are demonstrated in the parable of the prodigal son who had to learn the hard way that his father knew best. (Read Luke 15 and 16)

One of the most desirable fruit in the world today is peace. The world is full of violence, upset and chaos. Money can buy a lot of things, but it cannot buy peace.

• Galatians 5:22-23 New King James Version – ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Here a two ways to keep the peace:

• One: WATCH WHAT YOU THINK.
• Two: WATCH WHAT YOU SAY.

To keep the peace we must watch what we say, not just what other people say. God created the worlds with words. What are we creating with our words? The words of people can have power over us IF we let them. We can choose to receive a word or to reject a word. The only word we need to always receive is the Word of God.

For example, Eve allowed the devil’s words to get her out of fellowship with God. (Read Genesis 3). Watch out for words that cause us to doubt. We can’t let anything cause us to doubt God and His promises. The enemy will try to drop words into our hearts that are false. A false word separates us from God.

God is truth and speaks nothing but the truth. We should be especially careful not to spread a false word. The wrong words spoken by us or other people can rob us of our peace. We have the authority to overcome the lies of the enemy.

• Luke 10:19 New King James Version – Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

Sometimes the enemy will use people we trust the most to drop a negative seed into our spirits.

• James 3:8-10 New King James Version – ⁸ But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. ⁹ With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.

Also, we need to make sure we are not dropping negative seed on other people by our words.

• James 1:19 New King James Version – So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;
• 2 Corinthians 13:11 New King James Version –  Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.

If we say something that is wrong, we need to apologize. And, we must be willing to forgive people who have said offensive things to us. After all, we have said and done many things that are offensive to God and He gives us grace to repent–apologize and get it right the next time. But, never trade in truth just to keep the peace. Speak truth in a loving manner. We don’t have to wait until our mouth gets us in trouble. We can be proactive and pray daily to speak in a way that brings peace.

We are living in a time where people are stressed out. They are on edge. Anything can set them off. There are people who will shoot someone over nothing–something as insignificant as their French fries not being hot. The issues causing stress are their own personal issues or a family member’s troubles. People are taking on the stress of others on top of their own stress. Stress can cause a series of physical and mental problems.

Everyone gets stressed out sometime.

• 1 Peter 5:7 King James Version – Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

We don’t have the backbone to carry the stress load that’s coming today. We are not supposed to carry the stress of life. We can get so busy we don’t even slow down to listen to God. Sometimes God will slow you down so the evil ahead of you will pass before you get there.

What are we chasing in life that we think we can’t live without? Somethings we chase are distractions from us getting closer to God. The only thing we can’t live without is God. What have we put before God that has become our God? The most important thing to chase is God.

• Mark 1:35 New King James Version – Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.

We can’t take any material things with us to heaven. We will go to heaven with absolutely no thing–the same way we came into this world–with no thing. It’s time to slow down and focus on what is important. Slow down and count the cost before making every decision.

• Luke 14:28 King James Version – For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?

Don’t let the prosperity of wicked people tempt us to chase after their lifestyle.

• Psalm 73:2-3 New King James Version – But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; My steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the boastful, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

• Psalm 73:17-19 New King James Version – Until I went into the sanctuary of God; Then I understood their end. ¹⁸ Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. ¹⁹ Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors.

For some people, something has to happen where they are hospitalized before they decide to slow down. We all need rest. Don’t think about everything that could happen. We have no idea what will actually happen. Instead of thinking of the future and assuming the worst, we can trust God who has our future in His hands. God knows what He is doing.

We must take care of our spiritual, physical and mental health. God even decided to rest. God created the world in six days and on the seventh day, He rested. Knowing when to rest is wisdom. We must now when to stop chasing money and when to stop doing everything by ourselves. We have to learn to delegate. We can teach people around us to pitch in and help. God will give us wisdom so that we can be fruitful and balanced.

We are not selfish when we take care of ourselves. Jesus knew when to slow down. Some things take time. A mess doesn’t happen in one day. We can’t clean up a mess in one day either. God will teach us the best way to overcome the challenges coming against us.

Our flesh cannot produce the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit must come from the Spirit of God. The enemy really wants to steal the fruit of the Spirit that God gave us. The fruit of the Spirit is the character of God. The enemy wants to steal the character of God from His children. We are made in God’s likeness so we are supposed to act like God. What is God like? The Bible tells us plainly.

• Galatians 5:22-23 New King James Version – ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

God loves us and answers our prayers. But, God doesn’t always answer with something tangible. Sometimes God answers us with strength of character. When difficulty comes, God will often answer our prayers with longsuffering or joy right in the midst of sorrow. God will give us the ability to hang in there when others cave in and quit. Then God will give us peace in the middle of trouble He has not yet taken away.

Why should we worry when God has given us His peace? Why worry about tomorrow, when we haven’t finished with today? God told us to pray for our daily needs–not our next week needs. We shouldn’t imagine that the worst will happen when we have the opportunity to focus on God today. We must learn to enjoy today. When we exercise the fruit of peace, we can appreciate what God is doing right now.

• Isaiah 26:3 New King James Version – You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.

God promises to keep us in perfect peace–not to keep us from all trouble. The Lord told us we would have trouble in this world.

• John 16:33 New King James Version – These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
• John 14:1 New King James Version – “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.

We must follow the leading of the Lord and we won’t make bad decisions based on fear or anxiety. We should be willing to wait and pray about each decision. When we hear from God, we can rest in what He has said. Hearing from God releases peace into our lives. When we step into obedience to Christ, trouble has no power to disturb our peace.

But we can’t think we can do nothing and have this peace. No–we must fight to hold onto our peace. It is a precious fruit of God’s nature the enemy will come against. We are instructed to be alert and protect the character of God He placed in us.

• 1 Peter 5:8 New King James Version – Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

We can have peace even before our situation changes. Peace has power. Powerful people of God are not upset and anxious. They are at peace and standing firm on the Word of God. The three Hebrew boys who were threatened because they would not bow down to idols, had peace in the middle of a fiery trial.

• Daniel 3:16-18 New King James Version – ¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. ¹⁷ If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. ¹⁸ But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”

They stood firm on their loyalty to God and were even willing to die rather than betray God. God delivered them.

• Daniel 3:28-29 New King James Version – ²⁸ Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! ²⁹ Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this.”