Finding the Peace That Has Already Been Given
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
— John 14:27
There are so many things in this world that can leave us feeling unsettled. The state of the world, relationships, family dynamics, work, finances, and the many uncertainties of everyday life can make it difficult to feel at ease. Sometimes, the noise isn't even coming from the world around us. It comes from within—the thoughts that replay our mistakes, remind us of our shortcomings, and keep us anticipating what might go wrong.
It can feel as though peace is something we are constantly trying to catch up to. We tell ourselves that things will feel better when the circumstances change, when the relationship improves, when we have more money, when life becomes a little less complicated. We look for peace in the things we can see, touch, and control, hoping that if we can just get enough of the right things in place, we will finally feel settled.
And yet, in John 14:27, Jesus offers us something different. He speaks of a peace that isn't dependent on the circumstances around us. A peace that the world cannot manufacture and that isn't easily taken away by the things happening around us. It's a gift He has already given.
But what does it look like to actually live in that peace? And what happens when we believe in the promise of peace but still find ourselves feeling anxious, overwhelmed, hurt, or afraid?
At My Peace Therapy, these are some of the questions that sit at the heart of the work we do. Because sometimes finding peace begins with understanding what has made it so difficult to experience in the first place.
The Beginning of My Peace Therapy
The beginnings of this practice are deeply personal. There was a season in my own life when I found myself longing for peace and trying desperately to understand what it meant to follow God in a way that changed not only what I believed, but how I lived.
I had given God my yes, but that didn't mean I suddenly had everything figured out. My mind was constantly working, analyzing, searching for answers, and trying to make sense of things. I wanted to understand how to experience the peace I knew God promised, but the harder I tried to create it for myself, the more out of reach it seemed.
I remember a moment when I felt the Lord gently reminding me: Surrender your rest. You are not responsible for creating your own peace. I will lead you to rest. Stop searching for what you have already been given.
That reminder began to change the way I understood peace. I started to recognize the difference between trying to control everything around me so I could finally feel okay and learning to rest in the peace God offers, even when life is still unfolding.
I also began to see how much of our emotional pain can become intertwined with the way we understand ourselves, our experiences, and the world around us. Anxiety, depression, trauma, heartbreak, and discontentment can leave us feeling disconnected from ourselves and from the peace we long for. But those experiences do not have to define the rest of our lives.
I believe God desires restoration for us. Not a life where we never experience pain, disappointment, or uncertainty, but one where those experiences do not have to keep us living in shame, fear, or constant survival mode.
That belief is part of what inspired me to create My Peace Therapy.
When We Become Accustomed to Living Without Peace
In my work as a therapist, I often meet people who have become so accustomed to carrying emotional weight that they hardly recognize how heavy it has become. They show up for work, care for their families, maintain relationships, and do what needs to be done. From the outside, everything may look fine. But underneath the everyday responsibilities, there may be anxiety, unresolved hurt, exhaustion, or a quiet sense that something just isn't right.
Sometimes we become so used to feeling overwhelmed that we begin to mistake it for normal. We tell ourselves we're fine because we're still functioning. We push through difficult emotions, minimize our experiences, and keep moving because slowing down might mean having to acknowledge what we've been carrying.
And we all have different ways of trying to find relief. Sometimes we turn to distractions, busy schedules, relationships, or habits that offer a temporary escape. Other times, we sincerely seek God, attend church, pray, and try to strengthen our faith, yet still find ourselves struggling with emotional pain that we don't quite know how to navigate.
If you've ever found yourself in that place, I hope you know that struggling does not mean you've failed spiritually. Feeling anxious doesn't mean you lack faith. Needing support doesn't mean you haven't surrendered enough. We are human beings with real experiences, real emotions, and sometimes very painful histories. There is room for all of that in the process of healing.
Making Room for Healing
One thing I have come to appreciate is that peace isn't necessarily found by avoiding the things that hurt us. Sometimes, the path toward peace involves gently turning toward the parts of ourselves we've spent years trying not to feel or understand.
Our past experiences can shape the way we see ourselves, the way we relate to others, and the way we respond to everyday challenges. Unresolved hurt may show up as anxiety, difficulty trusting, people-pleasing, emotional overwhelm, or feeling like we always have to be on guard. We may recognize that something is affecting us without fully understanding where it began.
This is where therapy can be helpful.
Therapy offers an opportunity to slow down and explore some of those experiences with someone who can help you make sense of what you've been carrying. It can be a place to understand old patterns, process painful memories, recognize unmet needs, and begin responding to yourself with more compassion.
And while therapy is not a substitute for faith, I believe it can be a meaningful part of caring for the emotional and relational parts of our lives. Prayer, a relationship with Christ, supportive relationships, and therapeutic work can each play a role in the journey toward healing.
I don't believe we were meant to spend our lives pretending we're okay when we're hurting. Nor do I believe that following Christ means we will never need help navigating the difficult parts of being human.
Sometimes restoration begins with being honest about where we are. Sometimes it looks like prayer. Sometimes it looks like having a difficult conversation, setting a boundary, or finally giving ourselves permission to seek support. And sometimes it means allowing someone to walk alongside us as we begin to understand the parts of our story that still need care.
At My Peace Therapy, my hope is to offer that kind of space: one where faith and emotional healing can be explored with compassion, honesty, and room for growth.
Because the peace Jesus offers isn't something you have to earn by getting everything right. It's a gift. And perhaps part of the journey is learning how to live from a place of knowing that peace is available to you, even as you continue to heal.
The Peaceful Point
Peace doesn't mean that life will always feel peaceful. You can love God and still have questions. You can have faith and still experience anxiety. You can be grateful for your life and still acknowledge the places where you are hurting.
Maybe finding peace isn't about trying harder to hold everything together. Maybe it begins with allowing yourself to be honest about what you're carrying and becoming open to the healing, support, and rest that are available to you.
A question to sit with: Where in your life have you been working so hard to create peace that you may have forgotten to make room to receive it?
