Today, I Choose Peace

Today, I Choose Peace. 

I was recently reminded of a time when I desperately needed peace. I was twenty-three years old and found myself already in the throes of widowhood. That certainly was not my plan. After all, we were new first-time homeowners with budding careers in good health, and everything associated with youth and vitality was ours for the taking.

Then, in the blink of an eye, I was alone. I remember driving to see my family, not knowing what I should do or even could do, when an unexplainable peace came over me and seemed to make itself at home in the seat beside me. It was then that I knew things were going to work out. I wasn't sure how, but the presence of God's peace was enough for that moment. 

It's been thirty-six years since that happened, but nothing has changed for me or others who experience life's disappointments. We still need peace. That is most likely an understatement. Still, it's an essential one that can be traced from the beginning of recorded time and continues to this day. Adam and Eve needed peace after falling prey to the serpent's snare. Moses sought it after his angry actions caused him to miss entering the promised land, and David cried out for it when caught in a web of wrong decisions. Peter needed it when He denied Jesus, and with over three and one-half decades added along with some gray hair and many happenings in life, I need it too! 

Still, we look for it for countless reasons, including our broken relationships, demanding jobs, failing health, overextended finances, dire commitments, rebellious spirits, loss, and so much more. These factors leave us feeling overwhelmed and destined for an endless search for it.

Whether we are separated by centuries, years, or just the fences in our backyards, people of the past and present share the commonality of a need for peace. People who clearly have the storms of life circling them and are still standing, and not only that, but they are also calm, exude gentleness in their spirits, and are genuinely okay; that is a mystery or a puzzle with a missing piece for those without the Giver of Peace because the chaos and uninvited happenings in their lives cause nothing but pain and uncertainty. Onlookers wonder how it is possible to be in the midst of a violent storm in life, whatever that looks like, and yet find the storm doesn't overtake them?  How can that be? 

Psalm 29: 11 holds the key. God's word says:

"The Lord gives strength to His people. The Lord blesses His people with peace."

Psalm 29:11

Peace is not just a state of mind or a fleeting emotion. It's a fruit of the Spirit, a gift given to believers. there is a profound truth behind the saying, 'Know Jesus, Know Peace; No Jesus, no Peace.' It's not just a clever phrase but rather a profound statement. So, how do we tap into this peace that reaches beyond our circumstances?

Dear friends who have joined me and countless others in suffering, the path to peace begins with simply choosing to be one of His people. In Him, you will find strength and a promise of peace that surpasses all circumstances. This is not a mere belief; it's a truth that has been tested and proven by countless believers throughout history. Today, I make the choice for peace, and I extend the same invitation to you, knowing that this promise is for you, too.

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. This is not a message of condemnation but of salvation. It's a message of hope and peace, a promise that whoever believes in Him is not condemned but has eternal life. Today, I choose peace and invite you to do the same.

John 3:16-18

For that thing that still unsettles me, causes me to worry and fear, for anything that tries to overtake my trust in the ultimate Peace Giver, I say, "Not today because I choose peace.