“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
— John 14:27 (NKJV)
The storm within
I used to think peace meant the absence of conflict.
Now I understand it means the presence of Christ within it.
Every outward storm I’ve ever faced began as an inner one, a collision between fear and faith, pride and humility, control and surrender.
The greatest waves aren’t the ones that batter the boat; they’re the ones that rise in the heart when we feel unseen, unheard, or misunderstood.
It’s here, in the still centre of that turmoil, that Christ whispers the lessons I keep needing to relearn.
Keep out of your head and listen instead
So often my mind rushes to interpret, defend, or explain.
But God keeps reminding me: “Be still.”
My head may analyse the storm, but my heart is where He speaks peace.
When I move from reasoning to listening, I notice a shift, from noise to knowing.
Faith doesn’t silence thought; it places it under trust.
Forgive quickly
Forgiveness is not agreement; it’s release.
And the quicker I forgive, the less time resentment has to take root.
There’s a prayer I once wrote that still defines this for me:
Father, it occurred to me that true forgiveness is evidenced by a blessing rather than just tolerance. That complete forgiveness is not just a willingness to overlook an offence, but to bless the person despite it. Please help me to be able to bless those who offend me through the supernatural ability to forgive as You have forgiven me. Amen.
Forgiveness turns reaction into redemption.
It doesn’t always calm the storm around me, but it always calms the one within me.
Listen and do not argue
When Linda speaks from pain, the most loving thing I can do is not to correct her.
Arguing only tells her I haven’t heard.
Listening tells her she matters more than my opinion.
It’s not easy. Every instinct in me wants to defend or clarify.
But I’ve learned that when I hold back my rebuttal, I make space for God’s Spirit to interpret what words alone cannot.
Stillness in listening is not silence of weakness, it’s strength under control.
Allow God to work — don’t interfere
This is the lesson I keep returning to.
“Without My guidance, you will interfere, whereas I will intervene.”
Those words have shaped how I handle almost everything now.
Interference says, “I must fix this.”
Intervention says, “Lord, please step in.”
When I interfere, I take responsibility for outcomes I can’t control.
When I invite God to intervene, I take responsibility only for obedience.
The difference is peace.
Do the right thing because it is the right thing
Obedience without outcome.
Faithfulness without recognition.
That’s the narrow road of discipleship.
There have been many times when doing the right thing didn’t make things better immediately.
But each time, I’ve discovered that rightness before God carries its own quiet reward, the peace of a clear conscience and the steady hand of His favour.
Take responsibility for the house and family
“Linda is my helper; I am not hers.”
Those words don’t diminish her; they define me.
They remind me that headship means stewardship, not superiority.
It means taking initiative in prayer, protection, and practical care, not because she can’t, but because I’m called to.
When I walk in that calling with humility, Linda feels safer to walk in hers.
And when both of us respond to God’s design, peace returns to the boat.
The calm after surrender
The more I practice these things, the more I see that calm isn’t a moment; it’s a lifestyle.
It’s not found in getting life under control but in surrendering control to God.
Each lesson is a fresh invitation to let the storm draw me closer to the One who still speaks to the wind and waves.
Lord, teach me to recognise the first ripple of the storm within.
Remind me to listen before I speak, forgive before I react,
and pray before I interfere.
Let my stillness make room for Your intervention,
and my obedience become the calm that steadies our boat.
Amen.
“Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace, be still!’ And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.”
— Mark 4:39 (NKJV)
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