When Jesus entered the room where His apostles were hiding after His death, He said, “Peace be with You.” In that moment, Jesus met them in the middle of their unrest and offered peace. He does the same thing for us in our lives.
The peace that Jesus offers is not influenced by the changing tides of this world. Without interior peace, we cannot handle the turmoil around us. We don’t have the ability to control the external chaos, but we can control the interior waters of our hearts. An interior calm helps us to weather the storms.
So, how do we do it? How do we cultivate peace within our hearts? Joel gave us some helpful tips to try.
- Embrace silence daily. Our world is full of noise, and noise stirs up chaos. Can you make yourself internally silent even when there is noise around you?
- Take time at the end of every day to reflect.
- What are you grateful for in the last 24 hours?
- Where did you see God show up?
- Audit your social media use. What you do online and how much time you spend there affects your interior peace.
- How much of your time do you give up to social media?
- How do you feel when you’re done?
- Choose times where you are NOT going to be on your phone.
- Are there accounts you follow that make you unhappy, angry, or anxious? Unfollow them!
- Why do you do some of the things you do – specifically the things that make you feel unrest?
- Is it something that is healthy or unhealthy for you?
Joel reminded us that, “Interior peace is only possible through relationship with Jesus Christ,” so as we do these practices, do them with and in prayer. Lastly, know that peace in your heart is always possible, but it is only possible through God.
What are you afraid to give fully to God?
How can you live this moment of your life well? What about the next one? Remember, you don’t have to have the full timeline figured out now.
You can watch the live stream video of Joel’s talk by clicking on this link. Enjoy!
