The Gift of Peace

Peace comes when…

My husband and I own a business, and I work with a ministry for women who have been sexually exploited. We both carry many responsibilities, and in preparing to go on a much-needed vacation, we worked hard to cover all bases. It quickly became overwhelming as we also had to prepare for our family to be home for Christmas one week after our return—I found myself in the middle of a perfect storm.

Getting up early to finish wrapping gifts, I sat on my office floor listening to Christmas worship. My mind was racing, thinking of everything I still needed to accomplish. My phone was shouting tunes that celebrate the birth of our Savior, but honestly, that was the furthest thing from my mind.

As The Little Drummer Boy played, I began to picture the story in my mind—the pureness of his gift to Jesus. He came with the only things he had: himself and the talents God gave Him—I sat on the floor weeping as I broke before God.

It was then I realized I had left Jesus behind over the last few weeks. Through all the responsibilities and distractions, I shortened the time I spent with Him each morning. I found myself on a road I had traveled before that led to spiritual and emotional bankruptcy.

God reminded me of Matthew 11:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

He should have been disappointed in me, but He comforted me instead. I can’t tell you what that moment meant to me on many levels.

I’m determined not to let life distract me from the One I need most—Jesus.

Time spent with God enables us to handle the demands of life with ease.

As we pour out our hearts, worries, and frustrations, we open the door for Him to provide us with solutions.

When we find ourselves with more responsibilities than time, turning our focus on God allows Him to be our problem solver, advisor, and comforter, and we begin to maneuver through life with ease.

His peace begins to flood our minds, and we aren’t carrying the weight of responsibility alone anymore.

Living moment-to-moment with God at the center doesn’t come naturally, we have to work at it by disciplining ourselves to spend quality time with Him.

Below are steps you can take to keep God in a position of power in your life.

Before you know it, you will find yourself connected to Him and operating from a place of peace and rest:

• Schedule a daily time to meet with God
  

• Put it on your calendar, set a reminder on your phone, and hold yourself accountable
• Pray
• Prayer is simply talking to God
  
  • Acknowledge who God is
  • Praise Him
  • Thank Him for all He has done
  • Invite Him into your daily life
• Read the Bible
  
  • Find a Bible reading plan or pick a chapter to start reading
  • Start small and allow your reading time to grow
  • Invite the Holy Spirit to help you understand and apply what you are reading
• Spend time listening to Him
  
  • Give God time to answer questions, provide direction, or impart His love for you
  • Sit quietly in His presence
  • Work to shut down the thoughts that try and keep you distracted from His voice

Peace can be maintained by applying these steps regularly. God loves you so much and wants to be part of every moment! I pray you give Jesus the one gift He longs for—time with you.

You can also read: 365 Days Ahead

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