The Gift You Can't Buy: Finding Peace in the Chaos
Pastor Rasol Manouchehri Ardakani - 20 December 2025
“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.”
Welcome to Day 21.
We are now in the final few days before Christmas. By this stage, "peace" might feel like a distant dream. The shops are frantic. The traffic is terrible. Our to-do lists are longer than our arms. We often sing carols about "Silent Night" and "heavenly peace," but our reality is usually noisy, rushing, and slightly stressed.
In our modern world, we tend to define peace as the absence of something. We think we will be at peace when the noise stops, or when the arguments end, or when the bank balance is healthy. We view peace as a fragile vase that sits on a shelf; it looks beautiful, but the slightest knock will shatter it into a thousand pieces.
But in today’s verse, Jesus offers us a very different kind of peace.
He calls it "my peace." This is not a generic sense of calm. It is the specific, robust peace that Jesus Himself experienced. Think about His life. He was constantly surrounded by demands. Crowds pressed in on Him. Religious leaders plotted to kill Him. Even the weather threw storms at Him. Yet, through it all, He remained completely unruffled. He even slept in the back of a boat during a hurricane.
That is the peace He offers to give us. It is not the absence of trouble; it is the presence of God in the middle of the trouble.
Jesus makes a clear distinction: "I do not give to you as the world gives." The world gives peace conditionally. It says, "If everything goes your way, then you can relax." The world’s peace is temporary and external. It depends on everything outside of you being perfect.
Jesus gives peace unconditionally. It is internal. It is a deep, settling anchor for the soul that holds firm regardless of what the weather is doing on the surface.
This is why He commands us, "Do not let your hearts be troubled." That sounds almost impossible, doesn't it? But He isn't telling us to ignore reality or pretend that bad things aren't happening. He is telling us that we have a choice. We can choose to focus on the trouble, or we can choose to focus on the One who is with us.
If you are feeling anxious today, or if your heart is racing with all the things you need to do, stop for a moment. You don't need to escape to a desert island to find peace. You just need to receive the gift Jesus has left for you.
God is with us in peace. He offers a calm that doesn't make logical sense to the people around us. It is a peace that allows us to breathe deeply even when the deadline is looming. It allows us to smile even when the plans fall apart.
So today, stop chasing the world's version of peace. It will always slip through your fingers. Instead, open your hands and accept the peace of Christ. It is yours for the taking.
Prayer of the Day:
Lord Jesus, we are so desperate for Your peace. The world around us is loud and chaotic, and our hearts often feel troubled. Thank You that You offer us a peace that is different from anything the world can give. Please anchor our souls in You today. When the storms come, help us to sleep in the boat like You did, trusting completely in the Father’s care. We receive Your peace now. Amen.