Gift Two – Peace

Christmas is a celebration of the peace of God that was brought into the world by Jesus. He is the ultimate peacemaker and longs to bring your life into the fullness of His peace.

I remember reading Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” and not quite grasping what this verse truly means.

What does it mean to have a peace that surpasses all understanding?

This was a question I asked myself many times, until one day I found my answer. It was in the midst of one of the most difficult times of my life. A time filled with chaos, stress and hurt that was overwhelming. I longed for peace in my desperate situation, so I cried out to God in hope for some rest, even for just a minute.

What happened next was beyond what I was expecting. As I cried out, I felt the Holy Spirit’s comfort me like never before. I felt a wave of peace come over me like a flood. I felt a release that could only have been from God. All the stress and hurt seemed to fade away in an instant and suddenly, I was filled with peace and a knowledge that God’s got me. Not even just for a minute, this was a peace that lasted and guided me through the entire battle.

Coming back to that scripture, I started to understand what it truly meant. Though my circumstance was telling me that it doesn’t make sense to feel so peaceful in such chaos, I did. By earthly means it does not make sense at all, but that’s the beauty of God. His peace surpasses all understanding. It goes beyond what the world tells us should or shouldn’t be.

I’m sure you can think of at least one situation that is stressful, hurtful and overwhelming for you right now. Know that you have access to this same peace today and forever. Call out to Jesus. Allow His peace to root itself deep into your heart. This peace is promised to guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus, and it will because His promises never fail.

Be blessed by the gift of peace today and forevermore.