PeaceMuestra

As young children, we depended on the support of adults for survival. We’re hardwired to crave and seek that support. I know I am and I got a lot of it as a kid, and deep down I still crave and seek support even when I’m operating in my own individual capacity. But what about when we don’t get the love, validation and support that we need when we need it and from whom it is needed? We feel an instinctive anxiety which almost gives us a feeling of deep dread and pain. As we develop from childhood to toward adulthood, the craving and the need for parental support is gradually replaced by self-reliance. That self-reliance turns into self-efficacy which is defined as one’s capacity to thrive and move about in the world, to achieve success, to overcome perceived challenges and to excel independently. If love, validation and support becomes less available, we get edgy, resistant and irritable. We build a wall, a fence, a block - anything that restricts our freedom while also attempting to protect our peace of mind.

Could that be why so many adults, young adults especially, are riddled with anxiety and have to work so hard to be comfortable in their own skin? Perhaps it's rooted in the way we were raised as children or groomed to excel in the culture of hustle and grind. The pursuit of mastery and the cost of ambition becomes a catch 22 because it’s almost impossible to steadily advance toward excellence when one is tied to and preoccupied with praise, achievement and acceptance. You’re trying to balance your survival, your responsibilities, and your livelihood with your own strength, your own will and your own emotional security. Whew… I’m exhausted just thinking about it. And one person with all of that on their plate, if they are not careful, can turn into an anxious, uneasy, and tortured soul.

This word “peace” is a very elusive and rare commodity. The dictionary defines peace as, “A feeling of calm or not being worried” or “the absence of mental stress or anxiety.” Human beings are drawn to excellence. We know it when we see it. We are naturally attracted to that quality. Very similarly, we see peace in the same way. We like easy and free. It feels good and we are naturally attracted to it - a place, a space, or a person who gives off that energy. Both excellence and peace are simple words to say, but sometimes so much harder words to live, especially consistently. However when we live out these words, there are great rewards. Perhaps the biggest reward is gaining a deeper and more respectful connection to ourselves and to God, and a greater sense of personal power and fulfillment.

Some would say that peace or specifically peace of mind is the equivalent to being at rest, calm or lack of engagement. Let me suggest the opposite. Peace is much like love. Love and peace are the results of living out God’s promises and commands. And just as we could describe the definition of love, peace can similarly be described to be a feeling, a choice, or an action. Peace as a feeling signals a relationship with God. Peace as a choice says you have a responsibility to God. Peace as an action is showing a total reliance on God. This discovery means you are intentional and deliberate about finding your flow and staying there. Regardless of your circumstances, when at peace, you’ll think it, you’ll feel it, and you’ll do it.

Answer these questions and reflect on your answers:

What does peace mean to you?

What does it feel like?

How do you know you have it?

Affirm and declare these statements:

All is well at this very moment.

My need for peace is being abundantly met each day.

Jesus, you are Lord and you are my peace.

Pray in petition to God to pursue His will and way.