~ A guest post by Lana Leigh sharing how to find your place of peace this holiday season. ~

Peace on Earth, goodwill toward men. Does this describe your experience during the Holiday season?  I’d be lying if I said I’m actively contributing to world peace. My life constantly swings from one end of the pendulum to the other. I have so much to learn about how to carry consistent peace in my own life!

Strangely enough, I desire it. I believe everyone does. Especially during the holiday season when stress is higher. We need a plan to effectively navigate our way through the holiday season with peace.

This natural need for peace stirs within humanity as a deep craving that cannot be extinguished. So, if I want it, and I know it’s worth fighting for, why don’t I experience it more often?

Like many simple desires out there, it’s not as easy as it sounds—but peace is possible.

What Peace Is

My favorite yellow Webster’s dictionary tells me that ‘peace’ means:
1. Quiet
2. Calm
3. Freedom from disturbing thoughts

Freedom. That’s what my soul longs for! It’s a peace that cannot be pressured by outside elements. The environment holds no sway.

Why Peace Is Difficult

Among all the marketing campaigns, decorating cookies, school events and parties, maintaining that inward silence of the soul seems daunting.  Inside, I feel the pull to enjoy the moment, but sometimes worry and overstimulation steals my peace!

But peace doesn’t stand alone. It has a partner that holds it up.

Peace Needs Trust

Peace flows downstream from trust. In other words, it comes from trust.

When I’m in the midst of a stressful situation, my surface emotions indicate deeper beliefs. Behind each stressful experience, I have an opportunity to grow in trust by hitting the pause button and thinking about the ‘why’ behind all these feelings.

Trust changes us from the inside and paves the way for lasting peace.

What Happens Without Trust

Without genuine trust, peace is manufactured through the fake smile. I might say, I’m fine, but the ache of my true feelings hide in the isolation of silence, and I wasn’t meant for that.

Sometimes I feel out of control when the storms of life come. Difficulties really show me what I’m made of. If I have learned to trust and carry peace into the storm I can face the chaos with a good attitude, and that makes all the difference. My goal isn’t to avoid those storms, but to trust God and believe that His peace will come. Trust is the result of a submitted soul.

Without trust, peace has no place to rest.

How it Works for Me

When I’m taking care of my children, I find myself losing patience. At times I raise my voice and reveal my needy spirit. I pause and ask myself Why am I feeling this way? What can I do to experience God’s peace? After that my ‘go to’ Bible verse pops into my head.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7

Next, I start praying out loud according to that scripture, God, I believe you offer me peace instead of anxiety! Wow, I’ll take it. Help me to believe and trust in your words. So, I praise you Lord, and I thank you for my life – even in the middle of this hard stuff. I ask for your peace God. Amen.

Then, no matter how I feel, I choose to believe it.

Anytime a competing thought comes up that might lead to anxiety, I silence it by saying out loud, No, I am trusting God for His peace.

Little by little my relationship with God grows. And as it grows, so does my trust in Him. When all else around me wavers, He shows me a steadiness that quiets my spirit.

This is how I win over chaos.

How it can work for you

Recognize that Peace is Needed
This season, if negative feelings creep in and you can feel the sly deterioration of calm, remember that you can hit ‘pause’ and think why. That reflection time is crucial to any change. Remember to take it slow, this isn’t a pie-eating contest.

Swap out Anxiety for Peace
Speaking out loud really helps me focus, but for you, it may be journaling or quietly thinking. Whatever it is, be vulnerable. Feel free to embrace my favorite verse about peace or choose a meaningful one for yourself.

Believe Peace is Available
This takes courage. You may even need to go to battle against warring thoughts trying to distract you. It’s in the moment of a small act of faith that hope whispers to me, It’s possible! Hang on one more day, moment, second. It’s then I can trust that peace will come, as promised.

This peace can control how you think and feel.

What Next

• What’s the process you take when you find yourself in a stressful moment and need some peace?
• Let Lana know in the comments what you found helpful.
• Here’s something to make you feel secure so you can trust—click here.

Lana Leigh is a life-long learner and loves to search out the truth. She blogs for On Purpose, which encourages others to break out of their default-living boxes, make thoughtful decisions, and question whatever the culture says is “normal.” Currently living in central Oklahoma with her husband and 5 children, she often dreams of adventure and travel. Her favorite activities are soul-level conversations, sneaking cookie dough while pondering the human condition, reading, writing, and telling the muse when to show up.

Danielle Bernock

Author, Coach, and Speaker helping men, women, and organizations EMERGE with clear vision of their value, TAKE ownership of their choices, and CHART a path to their promise, becoming Victorious Souls who Embrace The Change from survive to thrive through the power of the love of God

See Full Bio