How to Have True Peace in a Troubled World

Every day, our world seems to drift further from peace. We see war, rumors of war, violence, conspiracy theories, and rising crime dominate the headlines. Even the things we turn to for entertainment are becoming less and less wholesome. All of these realities gradually eat away at the sense of peace we’re meant to live with.

But it's not just global issues. There are more personal thieves of peace too. For some, it’s relational strain between family members, between spouses, between parents and children. That tension causes internal turmoil that makes it hard to rest.

Some of us are experiencing economic struggles. Maybe you're looking for work or trying to make ends meet. That, too, is a thief of peace. Disunity among friends, tension within a church family, or conflict in close relationships can all weigh heavily. Even the holiday season, ironically enough, can drain our sense of calm. A lack of rest and sleep steals peace as well.

And beyond all of these, there's a deeper issue; many of us don’t even know what peace really is.

What Peace Is Not

Peace is not everything going the way I think it should go. It’s not about having control over the outcomes. It's not about achieving perfection, nor is it simply the absence of conflict.

Some of us try to eliminate tension and call it peace, but quiet is not the same as peace. A conflict-free environment does not guarantee a peaceful heart.

Peace is not dependent on circumstances.

What Peace Is

Peace is a calmness. It’s a settled assurance. It's a deep trust. The Bible gives us a word that captures all of this: shalom. This Hebrew word, still used today as a greeting among Jewish communities, reflects a much fuller picture of peace than we might expect.

Shalom means completeness. It’s about flourishing. It’s about things being as God intended; not as we imagine or desire them to be. Shalom includes spiritual restoration with God, emotional stability, healthy relationships, and even community-wide well-being.

In the New Testament, peace is anchored in the reconciliation of our relationship with God and with others. It ties directly to our mission as a church: to invite everyone into a meaningful relationship with God and each other. That connection and restoration, both vertically and horizontally, is the foundation of true peace.

To summarize: Peace is when your soul is reconciled to Jesus Christ and you live under God’s authority, walking in love and care for others, regardless of what's happening around you.

That’s the kind of peace where you can sleep in heavenly peace, not just words sung to the Christ child, but a promise from the Christ child to you.

Peace Is a Person

Peace begins with a relationship with Jesus. Isaiah 9:6 refers to him with these words: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Jesus is not just the bringer of peace. He is the very definition of peace. If the world is full of things that steal our peace, Jesus is the one who restores it, because he is peace.

It’s difficult, maybe even impossible, to experience real peace apart from the one who embodies it. That old phrase holds true: No Jesus, no peace. Know Jesus, know peace.

First Corinthians 14:33 says, “God is not the author of confusion but of peace.” So if God the Father is the King of peace, then Jesus, his Son, is rightly called the Prince of Peace. It’s who he is. Peace runs in the bloodline of the Trinity.

Peace Is a Promise

Before Jesus went to the cross, he spoke a powerful promise to his disciples. In John 14:27 he says, “I am leaving you with a gift, peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”

To live in relationship with Jesus is to gain access to this promise. His words are not empty. They always come true. And he didn’t just offer peace as a fleeting emotion. He called it a gift; an assurance, a wholeness, a peace that is entirely different from anything the world could offer.

The world's version of peace depends on what we have, what we can do, or how we feel. The problem is, our emotions are unstable. Life constantly throws us off balance. And when we live shaped by our feelings, anxiety, depression, and irritability grow. Uncertainty increases.

We are living in one of the most anxious generations in history. And much of that is because we have not fully breathed in the peace that can only be found in Christ.

Instead of genuine connection, we’re grasping at relationships through screens, through digital platforms, through shallow interactions. These do not bring peace.

But Jesus made a promise. He said, “I will leave you with peace.” Not the world's peace, but his own. That’s a peace no crisis can take away.

Where Are You Looking for Peace?

Ask yourself honestly: Do you have peace in your heart today? What’s stealing it? Is it a health crisis? A financial burden? Struggles in your marriage? Disunity in your church? Confusion about who you are?

All of these things, when faced apart from Jesus, will rob you of peace. So here’s the question: Have you surrendered your crisis to the person of Jesus Christ?

Have you trusted that he holds you? That you are his child and that he has given you the kind of peace the world cannot take away? Because heavenly peace is not something this world can offer. It’s not something you can manufacture. It’s a gift, and it only comes through a relationship with the one who is peace, who promises peace, and who gives peace as a lasting gift.

So even when the world feels like it’s unraveling, even when circumstances are uncertain and life is anything but quiet… You can still sleep in heavenly peace.