S164P3 – Bad fruit: strife
Gal. 5:19-23
Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
The events in the garden of Eden which gave rise to the current state of this world brought to the Earth a wickedness which has its origins in the heavens. The Father, Son, and Spirit sat atop the hierarchy in the heavens as the supreme governmental and spiritual authority. The one true God, three persons in one, reigned in perfect harmony above the angelic host. Then, that peaceful picture changed. One of God’s own angelic creatures decided that he wanted to sit on the throne. The peace which existed in the heavens between the Lord and his creation was opposed, and this was the beginning of strife, all as a result of the desire of one to have that which was not his.
The disobedience of Adam and Eve in Eden brought strife to a place which had operated in peace. Where harmony had existed between mankind and God, enmity arose. The animals which had been our companions became a threat. The planet which was designed to be our home and a place of safety began to rumble, quake, and storm. Even the harmony we once enjoyed within our own bodies was accosted by disease. A beautiful balance once existed in this world, and the spiritual fruit of peace seeks to inject that into this current strife. Whether in the body, the heart, or the mind, God desires to restore in us a lost treasure we cannot find in this world, and it is for us also to sow this peace through him.
The kind of chaos we sow as strife seeks to divide that which God has harmonized. This can be seen when someone overtly brings discord to the brethren or shares just a bit of gossip. It is a root of divorce, war, and all kinds of prejudices. Where peace seeks to restore and bring order, strife seeks to deconstruct and breed chaos. Strife is a hammer, but peace is the glue. A review of the scriptures shows us that our Lord is a creator, a builder, and a restorer, and He expects that same fruitfulness from those who carry his Spirit. Father, show us where we have sown strife, and show us how to bring peace to those places.