A Christians Guide To How to Find Inner Peace

Are the pressures of life stressing you out? Do you want more inner peace? If you answered yes, know that you are not alone, we all want more peace. In fact, humans have been searching for inner peace for thousands of years. Though we live different lives and want different things, we all need inner peace. It's the one thing everyone has in common, the need for peace.

Like this content on facebookThing is, we live in a world that is anything but peaceful. From the moment we wake up until we go back to sleep, we have things fighting for our attention and our peace of mind. Words like tense, anxious, and depressed have become a common description of how we feel. But even though it's hard to obtain true serenity in this day and age, it's not impossible. 

Difference Between Peace and Happiness

Before doing a deep dive into what inner peace is and ways to find inner peace, it is important to understand how peace is different from happiness. There are several distinctions between happiness and peace. First, happiness cannot last indefinitely, yet peace (especially the peace that Christ gives) remains forever.  Secondly, happiness can be quantified, but peace cannot. Finally, happiness is a state of being satisfied, whereas peace is the experience of contentment and fulfillment.  

The rest of this article will focus on inner peace; however, if you are more interested in happiness, you can read this article about how to increase your happiness triggers.  

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What Does Inner Peace Mean According to the Bible?

John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have affliction, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

As a Christian, if you are looking for an inner peace definition, I would start with the above Bible verse. These verses show us that true inner peace comes from looking to the Lord Jesus, the source of peace, regardless of our circumstances. Therefore, inner peace refers to a deliberate state of psychological or spiritual calm despite the potential presence of stressors. When we have the inner peace that Jesus promises we have a sense of bliss, happiness, or contentment despite what may be going on around us.

How to Find Inner Peace

Because inner peace originates with God, you can rest assured that you already possess it. Each believer receives the Holy Spirit at the time of redemption. The Holy Spirit produces the fruit of peace ( Galatians 5:22). If you are not experiencing the inner peace that God has promised, do not despair; minor adjustments to your daily routine will enable you to experience God's peace.

Connect with God

This is first on the list because if we put God first, in any situation, everything else will fall into place.  1 Peter 3:11 tells us to “seek peace and pursue it”

Jesus Christ is the prince of peace and so we'll find peace by seeking and pursuing Him.  Spend time with Him. How do we seek and pursue Him? We seek Him by making time to read our Bible daily, for it is by far the greatest book on peace ever written. We pursue Him by talking to Him daily. Go to the God of peace in prayer. He is your protector and He is faithful to guard your heart and mind.

Make connecting with God your priority and you'll experience the type of inner peace that the world cannot comprehend.

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Practice Acceptance

Practicing acceptance can lead to inner peace by allowing us to trust in God's plan and relinquish control over things beyond our understanding. In the Bible, it is said that God's ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). When we accept this truth, we can let go of our worries and anxieties, and find peace in the knowledge that God is in control. 

Exercise

If peace or the lack of it is a mental state than how will physical exercise boost inner peace? Well, according to Mayo Clinic, exercise works as a stress reliever. It increases your endorphins, distracts you from your worries and improves your mood.

Exercising also helps you burn off energy which will help your body rest easy. It's a great way to stop the pattern of lying awake and worrying at night. A couple of minutes of daily exercise will definitely help boost your inner peace. 

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Meditate

Another way to achieve inner peace is by freeing your mind of worry and negative thoughts though meditation.The influx of new-age practices has given mindfulness meditation a bad reputation among many Christians. Living in a stressful world has caused everybody to turn to meditation as a proven way to find peace in their everyday life.

The fact that non-believers are doing it doesn't make it any less biblical.

Philippians 4:8 tells us that whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy— we should think about such things. God has always wanted us to meditate and stay in the present moment with Him. So Meditate on His Word and meditate on His work, knowing that what He's done before, He can do again. 

Finding peace is inevitable when you meditate on these things for a few moments. So carve out at least 10 minutes a day for meditation, it will make a huge difference.

Set Healthy Boundaries

So many of us feel guilty when it comes to setting boundaries. We feel that as Christians we are called to love others and be the nicest people on earth. And we are, God wants us to represent Him, He wants us to be kind, to love others and to help them. 

So with that in mind, setting boundaries doesn't seem Christ-like at all. But it is! Jesus Himself set boundaries. Many times throughout His time on earth, Jesus gave priority to His personal needs. His personal soul care had to do with separating Himself from people to be alone with God. By setting boundaries on what He was expected to do, He managed to live in a rhythm of life that kept him free from burn out and full of God.

Putting himself and His relationship with His father first, came before helping others. Because of this Jesus was able to live peacefully on earth, fulfilling His purpose.

Don’t be afraid to set some boundaries today. God wants you to have inner peace. He never asked you to allow people to walk all over you and He never will.

Connect With Others

We were never meant to live independently from each other. This is why God created Eve, Adam needed a helper. . .We need each other.

Cultivating meaningful relationships is a great way to boost your inner peace. Being there for others, spending time with others and knowing you have people you can trust to be there for you too, works wonders for your mental health.

Journal

There are times in our lives when we're so stressed that we find it hard to focus. When we can't focus we find it hard to read, meditate or even pray. This is where journaling comes in. You don't have to try and focus, you don't have clear your mind, you just have to write. It will clear your mind.

Jesus Is Not Just A Sunday Thing Blank JournalLet God Composition Notebook & JournalA.S.A.P. - Always Say A Prayer JournalDo Not Despise These Small Beginnings Journal

So today, write down how you feel, write down what you need, write whatever comes to your mind, then do it daily. This will help you process and organize your thoughts in a way that doesn't overwhelm you.

Remember that no matter how you feel right now, inner peace is possible. Because with God all things are possible!

Keep your focus on finding inner peace and you will naturally spread that peace to those around you. Creating a peaceful world starts with creating peace within you.

What to do When You Can't Find Inner Peace

If you try the above strategies and are still unable to find the peace that Jesus Christ has promised you, speaking with a Christian mental health provider may be beneficial. To find a Christian therapist or life coach near you, use the  Therapy for Christians directory.

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About the Author: 

Corine Williams, Ph.D. is Clinical Psychologist that is currently seeing clients in the States of Maryland, New Jersey, and New York. You can find out more about her practice by visiting www.therapyforchristians.com/corinewilliams.  In addition to providing individual therapy, Dr. Williams is also passionate about writing books and designing merchandise that educate, uplift, and normalize mental health subject in the Christian community. You can find out more about her at  www.booksbycorine.com or by visiting her amazon profile here: https://www.amazon.com/Corine-Hyman/e/B00AWZ5FL2    

Help us increase mental health awareness in the Christian community by donating through our paypal link here: www.paypal.com/therapyforchristians, joining our mailing list by clicking below, or join our provider list here: Provider listing

Disclaimer: the information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this article are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you are looking for a Christian counselor near you, please check out our directory located here:  Christians Therapist Near Me