True peace is a priceless gift; you are rich when you have it. There is an old saying: “If it costs you your peace, it’s too expensive.” Nothing is worth your peace—no job, no romantic relationship, no friendship, not even family. One significant reason why I’m single—I love peace, I mean I’m in love with peace. I protect my peace at all costs, and I make an intentional effort to maintain it. If anyone threatens that one specific, very precious thing, that’s where it all ends. If someone is attracted to chaos or toxicity, they’re a history lesson. No one and nothing will rob me of my peace.

The Bible tells us to seek peace and pursue it. To pursue means to stay on a particular path towards something. It’s not enough to just “be at peace” we must continue to make a daily effort to maintain our peace the same way we would with any type of relationship.

Sometimes chaos, toxicity, and just plain misfortune cannot be avoided. It may be difficult, but it is possible to maintain peace despite our life’s circumstances. So how do we do that? You can start by praying a simple prayer— Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Boundaries are an essential precursor to peace. If you lack boundaries or you’re too afraid to make them known, you really can’t blame people for taking advantage of you and essentially draining you of your peace.

I would encourage anyone reading this to be mindful of what you consume. It’s important to be intentional about not only what you are putting into your physical body but also what you’re consuming on a spiritual level. What do you watch on television? What kind of music do you listen to? Whether we like it or not, music has the power to move us spiritually. This doesn’t mean as Christians, we can’t enjoy secular music from time to time, but it’s important to be mindful. Media is food, and you are what you eat. It’s not easy to be at peace if what you are consuming is contradicting your beliefs. If you’re consuming it, it means on some level you are in agreement with it. I don’t care how awesome the beat is, if the lyrics are dishonoring to God, I won’t listen to it, and if you’re a Christian, I would encourage you not to either. This isn’t a popular opinion, and even has the potential to set you up for ridicule. Remember though, the Bible tells us not to be conformed to this world but to be set apart.

It’s in pursuing peace and refusing to settle, setting boundaries and sticking to them, ridding our lives of clutter that is not in alignment with our beliefs, and learning to accept our true authentic selves, we can know peace.