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If there’s one thing us moms can all equally enjoy, it’s peace. It may just be fifteen minutes to ourselves as we soak in the tub, blissfully unaware of the wrestling match that’s going on in the other room with daddy in charge. Or it might be the twenty minutes where your kids are playing nicely together, and you’re able to sneak off to the kitchen to sit down and read a book, or cook dinner without someone hanging on your leg begging for a snack.
We could probably all agree on a similar definition for peace, including words like rest, quiet, stillness, or lack of worry. We might even describe peace as having no turmoil or disturbances, or like still waters in a sun-lit pond on a cool spring morning. However, we know that much like joy, peace is only temporary when we base it off our environment.
Sometimes peace looks more like a hymn in the middle of a hurricane, a softly uttered prayer in a hospital room, or a scripture written on a card sent to a deployed soldier.
Sometimes peace comes when life isn’t peaceful.
And thank God for that.
When my husband and I were first married, life was far from peaceful. We were learning how to communicate, how to be selfless, and how to not freak out about how the other person loads the dishwasher. We were fighting daily and drifting apart and eventually arrived at the point of divorce. It was during this time that I found Jesus, again. I realized how desperately I needed him. As soon as I repented for my selfish ways and turned to him, I suddenly had this unexplainable peace in the middle of our turmoil. I was able to stay firmly planted, while my husband was still walking away, and trust in the promises of God. There was still pain, hard conversations, and a road of healing and reuniting ahead, but there was peace. More peace than I had ever known.
When we teach our children about peace, they need to know that peace doesn’t always look like a perfect day at the beach. They need to know that life may be hard at times, but that whenever they turn to Jesus, they can experience that peace that passes all understanding.
In John 16:33, Jesus says, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
A great way to show this to your children in a tangible way is to use music. Children are able to feel emotions and mood easily through different types of rhythm and sound. For this lesson, I turned on some quiet classical songs and let my children listen to them. I asked them what they felt when they listened, and let them talk about what peace is to them. Then I changed the music to a dark, dramatic piece and asked them what they felt. After they talked about the differences between the two, I handed them my phone and some headphones and had them listen to the classical music again, but this time the dark, dramatic music was still playing in the room. When we were done, I led a discussion on how even when the world around us feels dark, scary, or chaotic, or when we face a tough situation, we can choose to put on the headphones of peace. We can choose to block out the turmoil by turning our ears, eyes, and hearts toward heaven, where our eternal peace comes from.
For this fruit of the spirit, we decided to memorize Isaiah 26:3 - “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”
Download this memory verse as well as the complete Fruits of the Spirit Family Guide with memory verse printables and family dinner discussion cards here.
Teaching your kids about the peace that God gives, sets them up for a life that isn’t ruled by emotions and situations, but instead is ruled by a steadfast spirit and trust in the Lord.
Follow on to lesson 4 on patience!