Finding Peace Amidst Chaos | Steven Furtick

For many years, I believed that other people, certain places, or the hectic schedule of my life were stealing my peace. It’s almost funny because I was the one who said “yes” to everything I’m now stressed about. So, now, I’m asking God to take away the things I committed to.

For so long, I’ve tried to arrange my life to avoid stressful events and difficult people, thinking that if only God changed them or if everyone acted the way they should for a while, I’d find peace. But in recent days, God has been teaching me about the path to peace. Reflecting on the promise of peace from God, I came across Isaiah 9:6: “His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace.”

Notice, the prophet didn’t call Him the “Prince of Convenience,” “Prince of Ease,” or “Prince of My Preferences.” Often, when God promises peace, I mistake it for convenience or ease or having my preferences met. But the Lord has been speaking to me… and perhaps you too need to hear this: It is impossible to experience peace while expecting perfection.

I’m realizing that the issue is not other people, the place, the pace, or the problem. The real problem is that I can’t receive peace because I’m expecting perfection. Let me summarize the message quickly: The enemy of your peace is not other people, places, or the speed of life. The true enemy is your insistence on perfection. When Heaven came to Earth, it wasn’t in the form of perfection.

God didn’t appear as a powerful deliverer; He came as a baby—dependent, vulnerable. The Prince of Peace didn’t arrive in strength; He came in Pampers. Why? Because God wants you to know that He will bring you peace, but not in the way you expect. It won’t always look the way you imagined, and it won’t always meet your preferences.

To live in peace, I must surrender my expectation of perfection. Over the next few days, every place you go will feel more peaceful once you realize peace isn’t found in a specific location or a perfect situation. It’s not about God delivering us from difficulties, but about Him meeting us in them. He guides us through the valley, not out of it.

“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,” because peace is not about avoiding struggles, but knowing that we’re not going through them alone. There’s someone with us who is greater than what’s against us.

The path to peace is an unusual one. God sent His Son as a child, entering creation in the most imperfect way. It’s strange to think that if God wanted to make things right, He could have come as a warrior, but instead, He came as a vulnerable infant. Jesus didn’t skip any stages—He was born small, in a humble place.

The path to peace is also strange in that it led Jesus through Gethsemane, where He prayed, “God, if there is any other way to save them from Your wrath, let this cup pass from me.” The path to peace is not always what we expect, but it is the path God walks with us.