The Gift of Peace

This is Day 1 of The Unexpected Gifts of Pain, a 5-day blog and audio series designed to help you find God’s treasures in the darkness (Isaiah 45:3). Each day we’re exploring one gift God offers in the midst of pain and hardship, along with practical strategies to reclaim peace, hope, and joy. Today, we’re unwrapping God’s Gift of Peace. Check out the post below or click play to listen in!

Anxiety and I are well-acquainted. In my younger years, she and her close cousin, perfectionism, would make their appearance before a big game or exam. I always expected a high level of performance from myself and would worry about not measuring up. In 2016, when my husband and I began marriage counseling, anxiety stuck around for a good couple of years, surfacing fear about the uncertainty of my family’s future. When my husband and I began diligently seeking the Lord and our situation improved, I thought I’d finally ended my unhealthy relationship with anxiety. But, when an appointment with my doctor revealed peripheral neuropathy as a possible diagnosis (which I was told could only be “managed” with medication) anxiety came barging in unwelcomed through the back door.

I constantly analyzed my symptoms, searched Google for answers, and imagined the worst-case scenario. When I started waking up with numb and tingling fingers, I worried the nerve damage was spreading to my arms. When my heart rate spiked at random intervals during the day, I worried my neuropathy was autonomic (i.e. affecting involuntary body functions). When the burning in my feet was so unbearable that I had to ask a friend to drive, I worried my kids and I were destined to a future of being chauffeured around. One day my husband said, “Jen, you don’t even know you have neuropathy.”

Anxiety is rooted in fear, which exists in thoughts about our future. Worrying about what could happen doesn’t change the outcome, but it does distract us from experiencing the present. The enemy wants to use worry and fear to paralyze us from moving forward and rob us of peace.

It’s human nature to want answers, but hours spent scouring the Internet for an explanation and getting hung up on identifying the lesson God was trying to teach me only increased my anxiety. In a culture accustomed to instant gratification, we want quick answers, but God does not work that way. There are just some things we won’t understand this side of heaven or until we walk them out fully with the Lord.

In the story of Job, he never understood the reason for his suffering. In response to Job’s constant questioning about why he was going through pain, God asks (and I’m going to paraphrase here), “Are you God? Or am I?” Job replies, “Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know” (Job 42:3). Job expresses joy in His encounter with the Lord, repents of his sins, and realizes He needs to trust God more than he needs answers.

To take hold of Christ’s peace we must let go of control and trust that God knows best. His plan may not be what we would have chosen, but He’s weaving it all together to create a beautiful tapestry of transformation and wholeness. From the underside of the tapestry, we see the loose, tangled threads and it may not make sense. But we can trust God’s promise to work all things for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). His purpose is for us to become more like Jesus and suffering is one of God’s greatest shaping tools.

Any time we tether our peace to circumstances or things outside our control, we will end up disappointed. When we make peace dependent on things that are unstable, such as our health, career, or relationships, we become emotionally unstable ourselves. Our lives become characterized by a series of highs and lows where uncertainty propels us into anxiety.

True peace is not the result of outer calm, nor is it the absence of pain, hardship, or chaos. True peace is a fruit of the Spirit that we receive when we anchor ourselves in Christ, Who is constant, stable, and unchanging.

I love how the Amplified Bible, Classic Edition defines peace in Philippians 4:7:

“And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

We might lose our jobs, health, or even our loved ones, but the greatest loss of all is our faith. Loss of our faith results in loss of salvation and leads to hopelessness and despair. Not only do we miss out on the peace and joy of Christ in this life, but we miss out on the next one as well. With God on our side and an assurance of our salvation, we have nothing to fear. The suffering we experience on Earth is only temporary and God’s presence is enough to sustain us.

In John 16:33, prior to His crucifixion, Jesus says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But, take heart! I have overcome the world.” Jesus doesn’t sugar coat it—even he says the Christian life is hard. He tells his disciples he will be leaving them, He is going to suffer, and they too will suffer. But, he tells them to have courage, promises to send a Helper (the Holy Spirit) to guide them, and assures them that their grief will turn to joy that no man can take away.

Here, Jesus promises peace that isn’t dependent on our circumstances, but in knowing Christ is with us. God is in control and His love for us is unconditional, so we don’t need to let our hearts be troubled. Fear and anxiety are signs that we need to bring our concerns to God and take our thoughts captive to make them obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). This means more than simply thinking about good things. It’s about focusing on the character of Jesus Himself—His love, goodness, gentleness, and grace. 

When we are in pain, this is hard to do. Pain distracts us and is difficult to ignore. To focus on things that are true, right, pure, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy, as described in Philippians 4:8, we have to be intentional. Isaiah 26:3 promises us God will keep in perfect peace all who trust in Him, all whose thoughts are fixed on Him. 

A framed copy of Philippians 4:8 hangs in my kitchen to remind me to fix my thoughts on what is true and praiseworthy. Christian music fills my car and my home, so much so that my kids and I know the lyrics by heart. My phone lock screen is either a scripture verse or inspiring quote. Today, it’s “God never uses anyone greatly until he tests them deeply,” by A.W. Tozer. Consistent prayer, keeping a gratitude journal, fellowshipping with other believers, and getting out in nature are other ways we can heighten our awareness of God’s presence and fix our attention on Him.

Putting It Into Practice: To reclaim the peace Jesus promises, we have to stop fixating on our problems and instead fix our thoughts on Him. What are some ways you can fix your attention on God and take hold of peace in a chaotic, fallen world? Jot your notes down in a journal or leave them in the comments below! May the grace and peace of God be with you as you fix your eyes on Him!

“If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. If you look at God, you’ll be at rest.” – Corrie Ten Boom (Christian Leader, Author, Holocaust Survivor, and Agent of Change)