Peace Through Submission

“And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever. My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.” Isaiah 32:17-18

Having a peaceful home has been a priority for me for almost eight years. However, that was not the case in the beginning of my marriage or in the first few years of having children. In those days, my home was filled with unmet expectations, bitterness, and the opposite of peace—chaos. Throughout high school and college, I had made plans and had an idea of what I wanted the rest of my life to look like. I would go to nursing school, become an RN, and if I had kids, they would go to daycare until they were ready for school. Even after marriage, I continued with the plans that I had decided for my life. That is, until the Lord spoke to my husband and said that we were supposed to do something different as a family. 

In all honesty, the Lord had put this on my heart as well; I had just decided to ignore it. I felt like my dreams weren’t important and like all I had accomplished at school was for nothing. Our home and my heart were full of bitterness and resentment. It wasn’t until I finally decided to submit to the Lord and to my husband that things began to change. What I have come to realize in the years since then is that peace in the home begins with submission.

In my case, this looked like submitting to the order of the family that God had designed. It meant submitting to my husband as the head of our household and submitting to what God had chosen our family dynamic to look like. As I surrendered my old dreams and ideas to Jesus, he replaced them with new dreams and joy in being the keeper of my home. Through submission, I began to experience true peace in my marriage and my household. 

There are still some days that feel more chaotic than peaceful. I have noticed that those are the days I focus on my own plans for how my day is going to go. I wake up and forget to first start the day by submitting my mind, will, and emotions to the Lord. No matter what life brings our way, we can still experience his perfect peace. God’s Word says, “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand” (Proverbs 19:21).

We also need to remember that peace is a person. To experience peace in our home, we must invite peace (Jesus) in. Where peace resides, chaos is not welcome! Women (whether they work outside of the home or not) have the privilege of being the keeper of the home and therefore the ones who cultivate peace. Cultivating peace in our home is like tending a garden. We must be intentional with what we allow into our home and weed out the things that do not need to be there. May we be women who fight for peace in our homes, even if that first looks like surrendering our hearts to the Prince of Peace.

We want to thank Courtney Harper for sharing this post.