The peace of the heart is one of the greatest treasures of the spiritual life. It is gained through labor, yet it can be lost through a single moment of carelessness.
The enemy does not always seek to cast you into great sins. Very often it is enough for him to steal your peace. A small disturbance, a hurtful word, anxiety allowed to grow unchecked, or judgment against your neighbor can open the door to unrest. And a troubled heart hears the voice of God with increasing difficulty.
Learn to guard your peace as a holy gift. Before you answer, pray. Before you resist, examine your heart. Before speaking about another’s fault, weep for your own weakness. Then your peace will depend not on the behavior of others, but on your abiding in Christ.
This does not mean that you will live without trials. It means that, in the midst of them, you will have an inner place where the storm cannot enter, because Christ reigns there. True peace is not the absence of struggle, but the presence of the Lord within the struggle.
Guard your heart more carefully than your own sense of being right, your opinions, or your victories. If the peace of Christ remains within you, you have lost nothing that truly matters.
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)
