It had been a terrible, no-good day.
My husband had said something that embarrassed me, and I was mad. We’d tried to talk about it, but John couldn’t see the problem. I, on the other hand, couldn’t see anything else.
While he went to an appointment, I wandered through the small town we were visiting. In one of the stores decorated for Christmas, I fell in love with a set of brown wooden blocks that spelled out “peace.” Festooned with pine cones and holly, the blocks could be displayed all year long. Best of all, the whole set was only $8.
Later, at the coffee shop where John had agreed to pick me up, I ordered a mocha and started rehearsing a short but powerful speech that would help my husband understand the depth of my hurt. But when he arrived and I started to climb into the truck, another set of words came out of my mouth.
“Stop!” I exclaimed. “I’ve lost my peace!” I ran back into the coffee shop and searched frantically for the small bag of blocks. But it was nowhere to be found.
“Someone stole my peace!” I told my bewildered husband as I got in the truck and swiped away a tear. I really loved those blocks.
The next morning, I called the gift shop to see if they had more in the back. The woman on the phone offered to check as I whispered a prayer.
“Good news! I found another set,” she said, but then she added, “Hey … I just noticed a bag of blocks under the counter. Do you think they’re yours?”
Suddenly the Lord put everything together. No one stole your peace, Joanna. And you didn’t lose it. You left it, My dear, He whispered gently to my chastened heart.
It’s easy to leave behind our peace with all the uncertainty and chaos in the world. Even as Christians, we can become so consumed by the cares of life that we miss the inner calm Jesus came to give.
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you,” Jesus says in John 14:27. “I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
This peace from God is truly remarkable. It’s meant to infiltrate every part of our being, giving us peace within and peace without. A deep-rooted stability that isn’t easily ruffled, stolen or misplaced — no matter what touches our lives.
It’s the kind of life Jesus lived when He came to earth. Fully dependent on God, Jesus never seemed to rush from one place to another. He was purposeful rather than driven, available rather than busy, touchable rather than distant. Because He was led by the Holy Spirit, Jesus saw everything and everyone as part of God’s will for His life. And because He trusted that the Father had everything under control, His life was marked by a beautiful peace.
Imagine what our lives would be like if we did the same. It starts with the instructions found in John 14:27:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled …” (emphasis added).
In a very real way, worry — and even anger at our husbands when they hurt our feelings — is a choice. I know we don’t always feel like we have an option when something produces a strong and immediate emotion. But until we understand we have a choice, we will remain powerless and peace-less.
Perhaps that’s why Jesus, in John 14:27, repeats a phrase found in John 14:1: “Do not let your hearts be troubled” (NIV, emphasis added). Then He tells us how to do it: “Trust in God, and trust also in me” (John 14:1, NLT).
Trusting God is the only cure for a troubled heart, so I find myself repeating these verses from John 14 often. My wooden blocks have also helped. They sit on my bedroom dresser as a constant reminder not to abandon my peace but to guard it carefully.
And there’s one more lesson God taught me from that little bag of blocks. When I retrieved the paper bag of blocks from the store, I noticed the saleswoman had written on it three large letters in marker: P.I.F. — “paid in full.”
The peace you and I need has already been purchased by Jesus and His death upon the cross. What we do with that peace is up to us. So when fear comes knocking — and it will, my friend — don’t let it trigger panic.
Let it trigger trust instead.
Lord, forgive me for allowing the troubles of life to trouble me. I want to experience the peace of God in every area of my life. Give me grace to trust You more so I continually choose faith over fear. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
