Serenity, unmistakably, has God's name written all over it. Calm and peace at a soul-level, particularly when we find ourselves in the midst of a storm, cannot be experienced apart from Him.
Jesus once said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid" (Jn. 14:27, NIV).
We are all too familiar with the kind of peace the world gives. The world offers "peace" in the form of prescription bottles and porn, money and meditation, six-packs and sex. In other words, peace that is only temporary.
The peace God offers us is different. In stark contrast to the peace we find at the corner drug store, God's peace is lasting peace; it won't wear off by the next morning. The peace God provides doesn't just calm our nerves, but our soul.
In His Word, our Heavenly Father points out that the peace He gives His children is so otherworldy that we mortals can't begin to comprehend it. He refers to the peace He offers as a peace that "transcends all understanding."
That same text goes on to say that the Heavenly Father's peace "will guard our hearts and our minds" (Phil. 4:7, NIV). No peace this world can offer can make that claim. Worldly peace erodes our hearts and minds. It promises something it can't deliver. It offers the illusion of fulfillment but leaves us feeling more empty.
But God's peace stands guard over our being, warding off all forces that would threaten our sense of serenity. The peace He offers is resistant to attack--whether we are endangered by the words and actions of others, the false messages we give ourselves, or the reality of our own powerlessness. The world does not and cannot give peace like that.
The promise to those who accept God's peace offering is clear: No matter how out-of-control our lives are, there is no need for our hearts to be troubled. There is no reason for our minds to be consumed by fear. God's peace is standing guard.
God's peace offers us the serenity we all desire. It enables us to accept what we can't understand. It empowers us to change the things we can. It equips us to know the difference.