How Do You Find Peace When the World is Loud?
An Advent reflection on peace that surpasses understanding even in seasons of waiting expectantly.
As we approach the second week of December, perhaps this season finds you waiting. Waiting for a ring. A positive test. A healed body. A door to finally open. A breakthrough to come.
Waiting while the world around you seems to celebrate everything you’re still praying for.
Christmas has a way of bringing the ache to the surface, the longing and the space between promise and fulfillment. And in that waiting, peace can feel like the hardest thing to hold.
Especially in my thirties, it sometimes feels like I’m running on high functioning anxiety. In my tendency to be organized and plan ahead, overthinking often comes right alongside it.
I’ll confess that I get frustrated with myself when anxiety and overwhelm wells up within me, when leadership responsibilities, deep longings and the hustle of the holidays all collide.
I share that honestly because there have also been moments, even seasons, when I’ve felt the complete opposite. An overwhelming, unexplainable peace so out of my character for me that I am confident that it could only come from the Lord.
And while you are waiting, Advent, the true heartbeat of Christmas, points us to that very answer. The second week of Advent centers on peace.
I do not know what you’re experiencing this holiday season, but I know what I’ve faced in past years when December rolled around. The heaviness of another year passing without the dreams you have longed for rising from the ashes.
The holidays can bring anything but peace. In the midst of Christmas lights, family gatherings, romantic outings, and presents under the tree, it becomes painfully easy to feel the weight of what is missing. The whole world seems to be celebrating, and somehow the ache feels louder.
“Do not be anxious about anything, 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 your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6–7
This is a Scripture I have lived. I can testify that the peace God gives truly surpasses all understanding. I’ve felt it in moments when chaos surrounded me or when I was in situations that would normally overwhelm me.
Yet instead, I felt as light as a feather. Those around me noticed it too. Every time, I’ve caught myself reflecting on the calmness that surrounded me unexpectedly.
I love this passage because it acknowledges our humanity: God knows we will be anxious. He knows we will be fearful. Yet He is the Prince of Peace, and when we come to Him, He gives a peace that doesn’t make sense on paper. A peace not dependent on circumstances. A peace that guards our hearts and minds. It doesn’t guarantee outcomes but it guarantees His presence.
Recently I experienced this again, it caught me by surprise. Historically, modern dating has been a place where anxiety surfaces for me. Overthinking every detail, wondering where things stand, and feeling unsure of what the future holds. But when there was a genuine connection with someone, I felt something entirely different. There was even an added layer to the situation that, on paper, should have made me more anxious, not less.
Yet instead of spiraling, I felt an overwhelming sense of peace. It was uncharacteristic for me, and that’s exactly how I knew the Lord was in it. I prayed a lot during that time, asking for clarity and wisdom, and what I received was peace. Peace that truly passed my understanding and surprised me. It was steady, quiet, and completely unexplainable apart from Him.
This fall I’ve been studying Exodus, and I’ve been amazed by the Lord’s attention to detail. Nothing was random. Everything mattered.
I also realized how much I’m like an Israelite. Maybe you’ve noticed the same. The Lord does exactly what He promises, yet the Israelites reach the Red Sea, they are terrified. Rightly so. Their enemies are quickly approaching and their escape seems impossible with their backs to the sea.
But the Lord says, “Fear not, stand firm and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today… The LORD will fight for you, and you only have to be silent.” (Exodus 14:13-14). Then He instructs Moses, and He parts the sea.
It’s easy to rush past this moment without pausing to recognize the fear, the waiting, and the anxiety they must have felt in that moment, standing at the edge of the sea. And yet, they don’t just pass through. They walk through on dry ground. Our teacher pointed this detail out and I couldn’t be more amazed at the attention to detail. The care of God in it all. Miriam leads worship, celebrating the victory. But soon after, when they arrive in Marah and are thirsty, they forget what the Lord has just done.
If I’m honest, I do the same.
Over the last few months, I’ve been intentionally recalling the goodness of God and the “Red Sea moments” in my own life. I want to remember His faithfulness so that when fear and anxiety rise, I can choose trust because I know He’s done it before.
Friends, He knows we will be anxious, even at Christmas, even in the waiting. But He promises that when we pray and call on His name, His peace, the peace that surpasses all understanding will guard our hearts and minds. He can handle every bit of what we bring Him.
