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Hi there! Welcome to Well Lit Soul. Where we seek God, face darkness, and shine brighter. This season of the blog is all about learning. So today’s blog is called “Peace is Learned”.

I don’t know about you, but these days peace feels a lot like time. You start the day with the intention of making the most of each hour and moving with a sense of calm and ease. But you blink and the day is over, your time has run out, and your peace probably disappeared somewhere along the way. Whether it’s the routine chaos of the day or unexpected life events, time and peace seem really hard to hold on to. And while there are lots of resources on how to manage time and protect peace, I find it easier to accept when time gets away from me, but it’s harder to manage when my peace is gone. I think there are a lot of reasons for that, but truthfully I’m still trying to understand why I feel that way. So this post isn’t going to be about how we learn peace as much as it will be about what I’m learning as I try to practice and grow peace.

One thing I do know for sure though, like joy, patience, or any other fruit of the Spirit, peace isn’t fully known, developed, or appreciated until you experience disruptions or chaos. And regardless of the environment around you, peace only resides within you. You could have a quiet and slow morning but if your heart, mind, and soul are moving loudly, you don’t have peace. I think about Psalm 23, in times like this. While it’s not known exactly when David wrote this psalm, many believe it was around the time when Saul was rejected as king when he disobeyed God and God made David king in his place. Saul grew distressed and resented David, which caused great disruption in David’s life. But he knew God was with him and would “make me to lie down in green pastures; lead me beside the still waters. Restore my soul.” David continues in the Psalm to say, “I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”

David, a shepherd himself, knows that God is his shepherd who guides and protects him no matter what calamity may come. This grants David peace in his heart, mind, and soul knowing the faith and trust he has in God to lead him in the path of righteousness. And I know God provides the same to me, but I need far more reminders from the Prince of peace. A few scriptures that help remind me of the ways Jesus grants us peace are:

John 14:27 - “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

John 16:33 - “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Romans 5:1 - “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

These, and so many other scriptures are reminders that Jesus provides peace within ourselves, among each other, and with our Father who art in heaven. And even though it’s been difficult to maintain peace within me, I do know that I can always cultivate peace around me. Matthew 5:9 says,

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” and Romans 12:18 says, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

So, even if I am having trouble holding on to my own peace, I can be sure not to disrupt somebody else’s.

And like everything we’ve been learning this season, it’s all connected. When we are being tested in life, strong faith enables us to courageously face our fears, surrender our will, and trust in God’s plan and ways, especially when we don’t understand. And as we’ll talk about next week, that trust allows us to accept His timing with patience and joy in spite of the chaos around us and be content and at peace knowing God Almighty is in control. 

I didn’t expect these blogs about learning the layers of faith to challenge my own faith so much, but I’m glad it has. I’m definitely a work in progress and thankful to have the opportunity and ability to examine the state of my faith. And if you’re like me and are working on peace, I pray that we can find rest in His power rather than resting in fear. I pray that we can courageously walk by faith and be protected from doubt and distractions by the enemy. I pray that we can have soft hearts that choose joy as we face the darkness. And I pray that no matter what, we will always seek God first and look to Him in every step we take.

Connection Question: What is your relationship to peace? How do you hold on to it during the storms of life? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to connect with you about it.