Praütes – a Greek word I was unfamiliar with recently and am still trying to grasp the full meaning of. According to Peter vanBreeman in As Bread That Is Broken (1974), it is a word that “can only be translated very inaccurately into English.” It’s more like the fruit of the Spirit that isn’t a list of nine qualities, but the combination of those qualities that embodies the Spirit itself and the qualities we have access to through the Spirit.
The translations of praütes that most resonated with me were the ones that described a “stillness of the heart” and one that “knows him/herself loved by God.” For me, those two things are very connected. I cannot attempt to manifest a stillness of the heart if I do not know myself loved by God and allow that and only that to define me.
When I think of Jesus’ reaction to the crowd that wanted to kill Him and yet He just walked right through them (Luke 4:16-30), only a man with stillness of heart and that knew himself loved by God could do that. When I think of Jesus going to the cross, facing all the human emotion and inner turmoil that came with those circumstances—only a stillness of the heart and knowing Himself loved by God would get Him through. Praütes. May we have the hope and peace that come from stillness of the heart and knowing ourselves loved by God.
As a part of our individual spiritual health, I encourage you to follow the model of Christ and be characterized by praütes.
Special thanks to Mandy Lillich for sharing her book and her insight!