“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23 ESV).
The word “peace” is synonymous with a state of contentment and/or well being. This would also include the absence of external hostilities as well as internal conflicts like worry, anxiety, or insecurity. A person who is free from these contentions is someone who is “at peace.”
Galatians 5:22 tells us that peace is quality that is associated with the Spirit of God. It’s only through living a Christ-centered life that we can we find lasting peace in a constantly changing world. This peace is available to us through Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross for as Jesus told His disciples, “I am leaving you with a gift– peace of mind and heart! And the peace I give isn’t fragile like the peace the world gives. So don’t be troubled or afraid” (John 14:27 TLB).
The next characteristic associated with the fruit of the Spirit is patience. Patience involves the ability to bear with one another’s faults. A look at the original language of this passage also tells us that this word encompasses the following qualities: “to persevere patiently and bravely… in enduring misfortunes and troubles and to be patient in bearing the offenses and injuries of others, to be longsuffering, slow to anger, slow to punish.” (1)
Patience is a quality that enables us to maintain a God-honoring demeanor when interacting with those who are insulting, aggravating, slow, childish, or incompetent. In these situations, its helpful to remember that patience is a quality exhibited by God Himself who “…is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
This attribute was also modeled by Jesus: “Christ never verbally abused those who verbally abused him. When he suffered, he didn’t make any threats but left everything to the one who judges fairly” (1 Peter 2:23 GW). Although patience is a quality that may not come easily for many of us, it is an attribute that can be developed by those who prayerfully seek God’s empowerment.
Finally, these elements of peace and patience are tied together in the following quote from the New Testament book of Ephesians: “Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Try always to be led along together by the Holy Spirit and so be at peace with one another” (Ephesians 4:2-3 TLB).
(1) G3114 makrothymeo Thayer’s Greek Definitions https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G3114&t=NKJV