Peace.
I’ve rarely experienced peace in the last 27 years of life – and I blame 99% of it on New Year's Resolutions.
Not really but please humor my desperate attempt at a witty introduction.
I truly do abhor New Year’s resolutions, though. Being a creative-minded person, you’d think the opposite would be true. After all, there is nothing wrong with setting goals, dreaming big, or reflecting on areas of life that need more attention. Done well, it can be rather healthy. But, more often than not, I have found that few people do New Year’s resolutions well, myself included. We start strong, we lose steam, we feel shame, we quit. Sound familiar?
For me, New Year’s Resolutions were where my better qualities took a turn for the worst. My passion for self-improvement and curiosity about many subjects often led me to set an unmanageable number of goals – many of them unrealistic or overly ambitious. With a year at a glance and a jam-packed schedule, I quickly became burnt out, frustrated, and discouraged from trying to do too much, too fast. And, when I decidedly gave up, I felt a deep sense of defeat.
While the solution may have seemed obvious – “Just set less goals, Eden” – I never quite felt like I was doing enough. Even when I did achieve one or two resolutions, I can’t recall a time when I did so with joy. Instead, I was plagued with a familiar question, “When will I finally feel at peace?” – a question I often tearfully mulled over in my early 20s.
A few years ago, I abandoned resolutions in favor of something simpler: a “word” for the year – a word I felt, through prayer, God was laying on my heart as a sort of compass for the months ahead. This practice was transformative for me, removing the self-imposed chaos of resolutions and offering a clearer, more digestible path for me to focus on. This past year, God gave me a word that struck deep (you guessed it) – PEACE.
Prior to 2024, peace was an elusive and intimidating concept for me – something I admired from a distance in the lives of others but longed to experience myself. In hindsight, it is clear my understanding was lacking (as it so often does), but I am so grateful to the Lord for how He patiently guided me through the last 12 months to a right understanding of what peace is.
What follows are selected reflections from my prayer journal throughout 2024 regarding this theme of Peace. I pray what is shared below will bless you and encourage you in the same manner it blessed me. (I tried to keep it short but I’m a yapper, so bear with me!)
Peace is a promise from God
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Don’t let your hearts be troubled or fearful.” John 14:27
I held tightly to this scripture last year. While I wasn’t always sure how to experience peace, I quickly understood if my mindset was: “If only x, y, and z could happen, then I will be at peace”, it would never come! I had, unknowingly, mistaken peace for something temporary and fleeting – mental simplicity, minimized responsibility, a clear schedule, the tidiness of my home, or harmonious relationships.
But, praise God, His peace is not built on such shaky foundations! While these things are not in and of themselves poor to desire, Jesus made it clear in verse 27 that peace is sourced only from Him – that it is something received and available to me now!
Peace supersedes feelings and circumstances
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7
In no way am I trying to minimize the grief and devastation we’ve all experienced this side of Heaven. After all, our Savior experienced all these things in full. However, I think it is important to note the hierarchy and authority God’s peace has according to Scripture – “it surpasses all understanding”. During some of my darkest moments, I still experienced God’s peace deep within my aching heart. At the time, I couldn’t comprehend how I felt two “conflicting” emotions at once. However, I came to understand that God’s peace wasn’t simply a feeling of calmness, but rather a steady comfort to the soul. Peace was a deep hum of holy reassurance that, despite my hardship, I had an unshakeable reminder of the truth – the Lord was with me.
Peace guards and guides the believer
I find it fascinating that Paul also notes, in Philippians 4:7, how peace is meant to guard our hearts and minds – two places that tend to be very susceptible to deception, influence, and misdirection. Perhaps, if I am not experiencing the promise of God’s peace, it could be an indication that I’m entertaining something unholy. Or, perhaps, I am simply off course with where God is intending me to be.
Just as He uses peace to reassure us of His presence (see point two), He also allows the lack of peace to be an indicator of when we are ignoring or missing it. Whether it is a warning bell or simply a course correction, ask God to search your heart and reveal where redirection may be needed.
It’s possible you are like me and have spent much of your time chasing after peace in all the wrong places – thinking it would bring simplicity, achievement, or some version of perfection. Or, maybe you were convinced it was altogether inaccessible this side of Heaven. Where I thought peace was something to be achieved, God faithfully showed me it was something to be received – not something we create for ourselves or stumble upon by accident but a gift, a promise, a reliable constant.
So, as you reflect on your own life – your goals, struggles, and desires – I challenge you to surrender your search for peace to the One who offers it freely. Invite God into the areas of your life where you feel restless or weary. Though the promise of peace is not the absence of chaos or complete freedom from struggle, it is an anchor of assurance that He is intentionally involved in and over it all. May you walk forward into this year anchored by this truth:
“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.” (John 16:33)
