I believe that a form of peace can be found through isolation. Throughout the course of life, people who erode trust in others are inevitably met. People who revel in taking advantage of others. People who may simply relish causing pain. At a certain point, once enough of these people are encountered, one may want to have nothing to do with others they don’t know, simply because they develop a belief that strangers, and on occasion even people once known as friends, cannot be trusted. As a result, walls begin to be constructed, shutting out others, save for a few people who can still be trusted. Of course, despite friends and family, a deep sense of loneliness begins to develop. However, if that loneliness can be overcome, then a sense of peace can be achieved. Peace from knowing that you are safe from others behind your walls. The ability to isolate yourself from others and accept the solitude that results can bring this peculiar sense of peace. – Anonymous

Peace presents a point of view and it is playing a part in this phase and period of my life. Primarily, it is knowing that even though you are so busy with school, family, friends, extracurricular activities, or sports, you are able to get through it because you know God is in your life. God is in control every step of the way so long as I surrender my life to him. When we constantly try to take everything in our own hands, we not only lost that sense of peace, but we become stressed and eventually drift away from God. It is only when we surrender our lives to him when we begin to realize and utilize this newfound sense of peace hiding beneath our pride. – Kenny Gozali

Peace is a feeling that is absent from many of our lives. It has been gone for so long that many of us do not even remember what peace is. Some relate peace to having a quiet day off from work and responsibilities. What I have come to learn is that peace is not just about having an easy day. Peace is having assurance that everything will be okay. We, as Christians, are blessed knowing that despite everything that goes on, the war has already been won. It is the comfort of not being afraid of tomorrow. – Nathan Wangsa

To me, peace is acknowledging God’s presence in our lives and for us to surrender ourselves to Him. I like how David described peace in Psalm 23; he opened up the psalm by saying “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want,” and he ends with , “surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever”. We should not spend our lives passively receiving grace from Him, but we ought to be actively dwelling in Him. Building a relationship and communing with God brings me joy, comfort, contentment, and ultimately peace with Him. – Darwin Wang

When I think of peace, I think of two types of peace. Peace of mind describes the comfort you have knowing you’ve made the right decision. This kind of peace you recognize in hindsight. An inner peace acts like a refuge, a place you connect to when con fl ict and hardship surround you. Faith builds peace. – Alex Lee

My definition of peace is knowing that even though situations in life put you through the darkest of times, you accept and move on with the situations God has allowed to happen. We all face uncertainty and moments where we question God’s presence and perhaps his mercy or justice. God never said it was going to be easy following Him, in fact, He said that our road will have even more bumps, we will face persecution and have more tribulations. How is it possible to look towards God when trouble haunts you at every corner? Rather than looking at our surroundings, then looking at God and blame Him for the surroundings, we should look at God first and then look at our surroundings. When a shift in perspective on the situations that plague us is done, a change of heart also takes place and it is only then that we can find true peace in this world. – Chris Atmadja

Peace, to me, rarely occurs. Sometimes, peace only lasts for a short while, but one can choose to hold on to it and not let others stop him or her from relishing in it, or he or she can choose to allow others to end the peace. Peace can be when everything is seemingly right in the world, with no con fl icts, no stress, no worries. It can also be the feeling of being on top of the world, when one has accomplished a stressful deed. Or it can simply be isolation from the world, learning to enjoy oneself. This is what peace is to me. – Celestine Kiatkwankul

His peace for me is embodied in Galatians 5:1: “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” I’ve come to a realization that in my life before I had known Christ, slavery came in many forms.

First and foremost, slavery was the absence of choice- the choice not to do sin. In Jesus, we have been freed from this and we must stand firm. We, His people, safeguard our freedom by exercising the choice to not commit sin and to not fear the worldly consequences of our repentance.

Secondly, the peace of God was, and is, freedom from the slavery of worldly ambition and expectation. In this freedom, I have peace that what He has given me is enough for me and that His will has placed me at where I am now in my life. Although my work is never steady, He has fed me from His hand day by day, month by month, and year by year.

Lastly, Christ’s peace has set me free from slavery to my fears, a form of slavery unto oneself. He has set me free from the fear of loneliness. Although I am alone, I am never lonely. In my solitude, I find His voice and in my loneliness, I find His comfort. I even find His joy! His promise is that He will lead me, and He will be with me even to the end of the age. His peace is a purified conscience by which I may come to Him in faith, and as His child, avail myself to the promises He has given. May you also find His peace and may His peace reign in us not only for this season, but forevermore. Amen! – Anonymous

In the dictionary, peace covers many definitions, from “at peace” to “make peace”. For me, peace is serenity, freedom of mind from distraction and worldly obsessions. More than that, peace is a gift from God. It always reminds me of the song, “My Peace”, and it says it all. God’s peace is a peace that the world cannot give; it’s a peace that the world cannot understand. – George Macamay

[Insert Laker’s Metta World Peace picture here :D] – Andrew Kusnohadi