This post was originally published on December 23, 2019.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Is 9:6)

Peace is elusive. With the invention of the smartphone, we are constantly connected and bombarded by dings, rings, and chimes. Instead of finding activities to engage our minds, we pull out our phones when we’re bored and pass the time on mindless games or scrolling through social media. We have email on our phones, so even when we’re away from the office, we’re still available and always on call. “Downtime” isn’t a word that’s even in our vocabulary anymore.

In the midst of the constant noise and interruptions, how do we find peace? Here are a few things I’m working on to increase peace and reduce stress in my life.

1. Meditate on scripture. When we meditate on scripture, we remove the distractions and make a concerted effort to focus on God. Meditation has gotten a bad rap among Christians because of its ties to New Age practices, but references to meditating on scripture abound throughout God’s word: Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:1-6; Psalm 119:11, 97; John 5:39; Colossians 3:16; and 2 Timothy 3:16-17. To meditate, we need a place that’s quiet as well as some time during which we can focus. This may require getting up earlier than everyone else in your house or carving out some time during the day while the kids are napping. I’ve recently started a verse mapping practice. Through this daily activity of verse mapping, I’m learning more about one particular scripture. I focus on one verse for the day, and as the lessons learned sinks in, I find I encounter situations which remind me of what I’ve learned. Meditating on scripture has numerous benefits, including increasing our knowledge of God’s word, increasing our faith, and increasing our inner peace. We recall the words and the lessons we learn while meditating later when we need them.
2. Move around. Notice I didn’t use the dreaded “e” word, “exercise,” but it really does reduce stress and improve mood. Full disclosure: I’ve been in a gym only once in my entire life, and I felt extremely intimidated by the fit people there and the equipment I had no idea how to use. So I have found other ways to be physically active. I’ve learned that I enjoy walking my dog, but I don’t enjoy running or lifting weights. On really cold or rainy days when we can’t walk outside, I’ll do some stretches in the house. Walking stimulates my creativity and pulls me outside of my own head. I like to listen to podcasts while I walk, but sometimes I don’t listen to anything but the sound of the world around me, and often, I pray. After a walk, I feel refreshed and ready to tackle the next task.
3. Let go. I admit that I’m sensitive and get my feelings hurt easily, but I also forgive easily. I rarely hold a grudge against someone, and if I do, I don’t hold it for long. Holding grudges and holding onto unforgiveness hurts me, not the other person. I’ve also learned that most of the time, the person who hurt me didn’t do so intentionally. They reacted out of their own hurts. Learning to see people as individuals with their own perspectives, feelings, and hurts has helped me to be more gracious. Changing my perspective from a me-focused one (you hurt me) to an others-focused one (why did you react that way?) has helped me forgive and move on many times over the years.

Finding peace in our world can be a struggle. As long as we live in this troubled world, we’ll never have true peace. But Jesus provided an example for us so that we can find inner peace: he listened to his Father (meditation), he walked everywhere, and he both taught and practiced forgiveness. By following his example, we can find the inner peace which we so desperately long to find.

Dear Jesus, thank you for the example you gave us to find inner peace. Help us to come to you with our struggles and find the peace we need in you. Amen.