Scripture is filled with promises for God’s children! One of those beautiful promises is for peace in our hearts regardless of what is going on around us.
Depending on your Bible translation, there are over 365 mentions of peace in the Bible — that’s one for every day of the year!
In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You alone, O LORD, make me to dwell in safety (Psalms 4:8).
He will redeem my soul in peace from the battle which is against me, For they are many who strive with me (Psalms 55:18).
The thing about peace that makes it so elusive even for the Christian who has been promised is that we are small inside our made from dust. Smaller than we often realize. We cram all kinds of things into our minds and hearts, like hoarders, as if there’s no end to how much junk we can push into our souls.
We let all manner of views, words, and opinions right in through the door of our minds. We are far too hospitable to these “guests,” letting them take up residence and stay with us even when they are toxic or untruthful.
Peace doesn’t grow in the same heart space as worry, or anger, comparing, or jealousy. Knowing this, God gives us what our hearts can hold. So, if we have given our heart space to things that kill peace, God waits until we hand over the stuff we’ve collected.
The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You(Isaiah 26:3).
Peace is welcome to grow in our heart space that trusts God. So, when we need more peace, it is often because something else is living in the soul that peace was meant to grow in; something that is bad for us; something we need to see to the front door of our heart and give it the boot!
Often times that thing is in direct opposition to a spirit of trust in God. There is a basic spiritual principle that has given me a tangible means to grow in the intangible things of the soul that we all crave. It works like this:
When I realize my lack of peace, or lack thereof, I write it down descriptively in a list format (worry about finances, discontentedly comparing my life, or listening to toxic and untruthful social all might be peace robbing issues I write on my list).
Then I look up verses that describe God’s strength to counteract my weakness or His commandments that order me in a different direction. Then I pray the verses describing God’s strength into my weakness.
So, if comparing the home God has provided me with someone else’s steals my peace, when I am tempted to get lost in that headspace, I pray for a spirit of contentment because godliness with contentment is means of great gain and I know the Lord has peace for me, so I ask God to banish the thing that robs me of it! Moment by moment.
I ask the Lord to show me the moments of choice when I decide to cling to me instead of grabbing hold of Him and His ways. I ask for the grace to let go of the small, wrong, and less-than things that fill me where He was meant to fill. And I do it day after day, year after year.
God has been faithful to grow me even in the ways and heart spaces I thought were too broken or messy for His light. It’s a simple thing to do, but owning my weakness, giving it a name, then praying repentance from it, and seeking God’s character to fill and change that weakness by writing it all out has been helpful for me.
Pursuing peace has worked the same way for me. All the things that rob peace from my heart don’t belong in my heart. So, identifying them and then repenting of them — turning away from them — not giving them heart space anymore — means that space is freed up for the Lord’s promised peace.
If I leave that weed of untruth (or whatever it is) to grow but expect God to just plop His peace on top of it, it’s sort of like having an armload of packages and asking the Lord to rest yet another, delicate gift on top of my armload. He knows I’ll just drop it all, so, He waits for me to empty my hands and then sets His blessings in them.
He must turn away from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it (1 Peter 3:11).
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you (Philippians 4:8-9).
For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace (Romans 8:6).
Scripturally, we are invited to seek peace. We are instructed to set our minds on the things that are pure and beautiful, things that are praiseworthy and truthful! We are instructed to practice the things the apostles instructed — then comes the peace of God.
We are instructed to turn away from evil and do good in the same way we can seek and pursue peace. It isn’t a happen-chance emotion that floats down from heaven on a snowflake. God calls us to chase it. To be intentional about it! To realign our minds and hearts so we are available for His promised peace.
We are also promised peace as we learn about God’s character.
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace… (Ephesians 2:13-14).
The more we pursue God Himself, the more we are promised to find the peace we crave.
As we near the Christmas season, with all of its joy but also increasing distractions and weary stresses, let us daily remember how the Christmas story is about Peace Himself touching earth.
And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased” (Luke 2:8-14).
Christ came to bring you peace in your troubles and light to your fears! May He grace you to toss the peace-robbing junk out your heart door and open wide to His sweet, promised peace as you lean into His word and learn more and more of His character!
For further reading:
Will the God of Hope Fill Us with Joy and Peace?
What Did Jesus Mean by ‘Peace Be Still’?
What Does It Mean to Have Peace with God?
How Can the Peace of God Guard Your Heart?
How Was There Peace on Earth at Jesus’ Birth?
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Ivan Nadaski
April Motl is a pastor’s wife, homeschool mom, and women’s ministry director. When she’s not waist-deep in the joys and jobs of motherhood, being a wife, and serving at church, she writes and teaches for women. You can find more encouraging resources from April at MotlMinistries.com and on Amazon.