The gift of peace

In my current journey to understand intentionality one thing has become clear: things are not always as they seem. Maybe that sounds cliche but I have become much more aware of this reality as my recent counseling sessions dig deep into my motives. Finding meaning in past experiences has helped me recognize this throughline that runs in me. If intentionality was attached to a need for control, the fear of losing control is rooted in my corrupt sense of value for myself. The way to overcome this is peace.

Recognizing fear

It’s hard to talk about fear. The feeling of ‘fear’ is a symptom deep in someone’s gut. It paralyzes us. It makes us doubt ourselves. It keeps us from being who we truly are and who we were meant to be. In many ways fear has the power to stop you in your tracks without ever doing anything. It just makes you think of all that could go wrong.

Fear revealed itself to me in my early years. Whether it was the bully who gained control of my actions in middle school or the lack of support from bosses who lead through intimidation, fear took root in much of my life; making me not even notice it. And almost like a chess game, that fear made me calculate my every move in the hopes of avoiding disappointment and pain.

Finding peace

If fear makes you unsure of yourself, peace makes you comfortable with the outcome. While it’s popular to think that courage is the opposite of fear, I believe it’s peace that truly negates it. Courage then becomes a reflection of that peace which gives you freedom to take action.

Peace became real to me during my teenage years as I entered high school. It was peace that helped me overcome the bullies and see beyond the shortcomings of bad bosses. It was peace that made me understand the richness in each experience. Not that I wanted to experience hurt or frustration, but peace helped me see these occurrences not as defining moments but as learning opportunities. And in that sense, peace brings a freedom that is hard to describe.

Describing peace through Jesus

Peace become real to me when I was introduced to Jesus. Yes, that same Jesus who Christmas is all about. The people of his time also battled fear and their courage to speak truth and live in truth was only unlocked because they saw peace. Living and breathing peace. Jesus’ promise of a full life didn’t mean a life with no problems; it meant a life where we grow in those problems; a life that we appreciate because regardless of what happens we are safe in Him. I am rediscovering this truth and there is no better season to do it then Christmas. I hope you enjoy the gift of peace He brings to you and me.