Finding Peace

This time of the year, as we celebrate our Prince of Peace in a season that should be marked by peace, we often find ourselves surrounded by chaos. We sing, “it’s the most wonderful time of the year,” but if we’re honest, it often feels like the busiest time of the year.

We have a lot on our plates… between schedules, expectations, church activities, cooking, parenting, serving, decorating, Christmas parties, shopping, school events, end of year goals at work, wrapping gifts, holiday traditions, traveling, other festivities, and the pressure of holding everything together.

Sometimes, the Christmas season feels overwhelming rather than peaceful. Sometimes, we just need a moment to breathe. Because Christmas was never meant to be carried on our shoulders; it was meant to be carried in our heart. This season does not have to be perfect for you to find perfect peace.

Finding peace during the busyness of the holidays is one thing, but what about discovering it beyond December? How do we find peace in the midst of difficult situations: a diagnosis, financial hardship, a rocky marriage, betrayal, job loss, broken relationships, a difficult decision to make, or the grief of losing someone we love?

We all face challenging seasons in life. This is reality. Some seasons are short; others last much longer. And sometimes seasons linger, leaving behind the remains of a difficult situation. So, how do we find peace when life feels hard, unknown, and heavy?

We have all walked through tough times. Some of us may be going through a challenging time right now. Some struggles you’ve shared with others, and some you’ve carried alone, hidden from the world. Yet they remain very real in your life.

I know it’s not easy, but thankfully, with God we can experience peace even in difficult times. Peace is not dependent on, nor limited to, any particular season of life. Peace came with the Son of God, wrapped in humanity and laid in a manger.

Luke 2:14 says, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace…' Peace arrived with Jesus. But Jesus just didn’t bring peace… Jesus is peace. And the peace Jesus gives isn’t just seasonal, nor is it fragile. His peace is powerful and enduring. His Peace is EVERYTHING we need.

Here are a few ways to receive and live in peace.

Peace is a process.

One of my favorite scriptures, and reminders of this truth, is found in Psalm 34:14, 'Seek peace and pursue it.' Peace is not something that simply happens by chance but a process and a continual part of life. It’s something we must intentionally seek and consistently work toward.

In my life, I have dealt with fear, low self-esteem, worry, comparison, hurt, and other lies of the enemy that have tried to steal my peace. Through a lot of prayer over the years, I now find myself in a place of peace. And it is a much better place to be in. Even when life tries to creep in, I can work to get myself back to that place and stay there.

I have found peace over fear for my kids and husband by fully placing them in God’s hands.

I have found peace over worry knowing that God is in control and nothing is shocking to Him.

I have found peace in knowing that I am good enough because I am God’s.

I have found peace over comparison by being content with what God has blessed us with.

When we take a moment to remember the ways we’ve experienced peace, two things become clear. First, we are living out at least one of the prayers we’ve prayed (though in reality, there are so many answered prayers). Second, the things we may take for granted are often the very things for which others are praying. When we stop and reflect on the blessings in our lives, it puts everything into perspective. This isn’t a cliché; it’s a posture of the heart. Peace takes time and effort, but it’s worth it. It’s not a feeling in a moment; it’s a way of life.

Peace comes by surrendering control.
When we surrender control of everything in our lives (our health, family, marriage, job, finances, the future), we are exchanging our worries for God’s peace.

I heard a quote once that said, You can carry it or you can cast it, but you can’t do both. I love this.

I am very careful to use the word anxiety when it comes to things I’ve dealt with because I know there are people who truly deal with anxiety on a much bigger scale, but I have had very anxious moments over the years.

And I've realized that in those anxious times, I was trying to be God. I was trying to fix things that weren’t mine to fix, worry about things I didn’t need to worry about, change someone who wasn’t going to change. Rather than surrendering it to the Lord, I was trying to control it.

We often think, at times, that we are powerful when we can control things, but the truth is there is power in releasing it.

One of my other favorite scriptures is Psalms 4:8, which says, “I will both lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, LORD, make me live in safety.”

The Lord is One who can carry it, we just have to let Him.

Peace grows when you guard your heart, your mind, and your time.
“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts…” -Colossians 3:15

Peace requires intentional focus. Your heart, mind, and time will not be guarded without that intentional focus.

The distractions you allow will never produce a peaceful heart. The key is what you choose to allow. When you intentionally guard your heart from what wounds it, your mind from what feeds negative thoughts, and your time from unnecessary interruptions, you position yourself to live in a much more peaceful place.

Romans 12:2 says, 'Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.' Having a renewed mind is an amazing feeling.

And Philippians 4:7 reminds us that “The peace of God… will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

So, guard your thoughts. Protect your heart. Fill your mind with His Word. Give yourself permission to rest. And be still.

Peace comes when you release what you were never intended to carry.
In life, we carry A LOT. And not just on the outside in all that we balance and do, but all the internal things we carry as well. But the peace of God doesn’t come from what you manage or what you carry. Peace comes from Who you walk with on this journey called life.

Philippians 4:6–7 tells us peace comes through prayer—through the surrender of the things weighing on your heart.

There is peace in admitting:

“I can’t do everything.”
“I need help.”
“This is too hard for me to handle alone.”
“I’m giving this to God.”
“I’m not okay.”

When your fists are clenched and you are trying to do it all, you are not in a position to receive that peace.

Allow yourself to release what you were never meant to carry and welcome that perfect peace into your life that the Lord has ready for you.

Peace isn’t just for you - it flows through you.

When you have the peace of God in your life, people see it. In a world that is far from peaceful, living in and with peace can be one of the greatest parts of your testimony.

In our humanity, we are incapable of finding peace in the hardest times of life. But with God, we can find it. And when you have the Peace of God on you and in you, you carry peace into situations that don’t have any.

Jesus doesn’t just give you peace, He makes you an instrument of it. And when you lead someone else into a peaceful place, God settles peace deeper into you.

Peace is yours not because life is easy, but because you are loved.

Peace isn’t the absence of problems; it’s the presence of the One who holds all things together—including you and me.

Jesus said, 'My peace I give to you; not as the world gives…' -John 14:27

That’s exactly why we need Jesus. He offers something to us that nothing else and no one else can.

Christmas reminds us that He stepped into a broken world because His love for you and me is relentless.

Jesus sees every quiet sacrifice you make.
Every tear you wipe.
Every heartache you feel.
Every worry you think about.
Every responsibility you juggle.
Every prayer whispered (or shouted) for your children, your spouse, your home, your ministry, your future.

Jesus loves you and His love brings peace no circumstance can steal.

At Christmas, we celebrate the wondrous truth of Isaiah 9:6, “For unto us a Child is born… and His name shall be called… the Prince of Peace.” The birth of Jesus brought light into a weary world and hope into restless hearts. His coming reminds us peace is not something we create on our own, it’s a gift God offers through His Son.

In the middle of the shopping lists, to-do lists, school events, family plans, and the hundreds of invisible things you carry that no one else sees, my prayer is that the peace of God guards your heart in a way nothing else can.

The world may demand more from you in December and in the seasons of life to come, but Jesus invites you to receive more from Him.

Let’s carry the message of Christmas into our daily lives. God is near. Peace is here. And His love remains our greatest joy.

So breathe…

Slow down for a moment.

Be at peace.

Remember Who you belong to. Let His Word steady your mind, let His Spirit quiet the overwhelmed parts, and let His love define your peace.

This Christmas (and beyond), may the Prince of Peace meet you in the ordinary moments of life and remind you of this:

You are seen. You are loved. You are carried by God.

And in addition to God being the Source of peace, He is faithful.