The Peace Bubble: Carrying Sanctuary in Chaos

One of the things I've been praying for myself, for my family, and for those I counsel and shepherd is this: that there would be an internal bubble of peace.

Not peace that depends on external circumstances being calm. Not peace that evaporates the moment something goes wrong. But peace on the inside that becomes very tranquil, very relaxed, very aligned with Christ—no matter how much the world around us is raging.

I call it the peace bubble.

We Are the Temple

Here's the foundation for understanding this: we are the temple of Holy Spirit.

"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?" (1 Corinthians 6:19, NIV)

The temple is the sanctuary—a place of peace, a dwelling place for God's presence. And if we are the temple, then we carry the sanctuary with us wherever we go.

This completely transforms how we approach difficult situations.

We're not going into chaos hoping to find peace somewhere in the midst of it. We're bringing peace into chaos because we carry the sanctuary within us.

Shifting Atmospheres Rather Than Being Shifted

When we carry peace with us—even into difficult situations—we get to release our peace. We shift the atmospheres rather than having them shift us.

Think about Jesus asleep in the boat during the storm. The disciples were panicking. The circumstances were legitimately dangerous. But Jesus had such internal peace that He could sleep through it.

And when He woke up, what did He do? He released His peace into the situation: "Peace, be still" (Mark 4:39, NKJV).

The atmosphere shifted to match what He carried internally.

That's our calling too. We don't want to make agreement with the enemy that everything's dark and horrible. Because guess what happens if we do? It becomes dark and horrible for us. We intensify it.

When two or three agree, it starts happening. Agreement has power. If we echo fear, chaos, and despair, we're amplifying those things in our own experience and in the world around us.

But if we echo peace, hope, and God's goodness—if we agree with heaven instead of hell—we release something entirely different into the atmosphere.

The Danger of Agreement with Darkness

I cannot overstate how important this is: we must be vigilant about what we agree with.

The enemy wants us to:

• Speak his narrative ("Everything's falling apart!")

• Echo his fear ("We're all doomed!")

• Amplify his chaos ("Nothing's going to work out!")

And here's the insidious part: when we do that, we give him permission to intensify those things in our lives. We're essentially inviting him to make good on the very things we're declaring.

If we give vent and voice to fear and darkness, we intensify it. Two or three agreeing? It manifests.

But the reverse is also true. When we agree with God's goodness, with His peace, with His Kingdom coming—we intensify that instead.

"I am going to agree: we're going to have goodwill and peace on earth."

Even in challenging times, you can watch people be at their very best when they're not operating from fear.

Fear as the Fuel of the Wrong Kingdom

A lot of what fuels the wrong kingdom is fear.

Fear causes you to withhold when you should give. Fear causes you to panic when you should be strategic. Fear causes you to make agreements with darkness when you should be declaring light.

Most every bad decision I've watched people make—in real estate, in relationships, in ministry, in life—has been fear-driven.

But when people know at the end of the day that God is still on the throne and they're going to be okay? Everything shifts. They can navigate challenges with wisdom instead of panic. They can be generous instead of hoarding. They can take God-directed risks instead of playing it safe.

The peace bubble isn't denial of reality. It's a deeper reality—the reality of God's presence and sovereignty—that informs how you respond to circumstances.

Seeing the Best in Challenging Times

Even in challenging times, you can watch people be at their very best.

I've seen some of the most generous people on earth in the midst of crisis. I've seen people sacrifice for people who are almost strangers. I love that.

Yes, tough times can bring out the worst in people too. But most of that is fear-driven. When people are afraid, they either freeze, flee, or fight in ways that aren't helpful.

But when people have internal peace—when they're carrying the sanctuary with them—they can rise to occasions that would flatten others.

This is what Daniel did in the lion's den. What the three Hebrew boys did in the fiery furnace. What Paul and Silas did in prison, singing hymns at midnight.

They carried peace into chaos, and it shifted everything.

Creating Your Peace Bubble

So how do you cultivate this internal peace bubble?

1. Remember who you are. You are the temple. The sanctuary goes with you. You're not trying to find peace out there—you're bringing it with you.

2. Guard what you agree with. Pay attention to your words, your thoughts, your declarations. Are you echoing fear or faith? Chaos or peace? Hell's narrative or heaven's?

3. Practice God's presence. Spend time in worship, in His Word, in prayer—not to earn peace, but to become more aware of the peace you already carry.

4. Choose gratitude over complaint. Gratitude is an act of agreement with God's goodness. Complaint is agreement with the enemy's lies. Choose wisely.

5. Speak peace intentionally. When you walk into a tense room, a chaotic situation, or a difficult conversation, pause and internally declare: "I carry peace. I release peace here."

Birds and Backyard Sanctuaries

Gregory and I have a little bird sanctuary in our backyard. He loves our animals. Anytime you walk into our backyard or even sit at our kitchen table and look out, we have hummingbirds that come right up to the window. They'll even buzz the window if the feeder gets low!

We have Cardinals and Blue Jays. We have squirrels. We have a bunny rabbit. We have ducks that visit our pool—they think it's their cement pond. We love it.

It's actually entertaining to sit at our kitchen counter and just watch the activity in the backyard. Even our grandkids know it's a safe place.

Why am I telling you this? Because it's a picture of what happens when you create sanctuary. When you establish peace in your space, life is drawn to it. Safety is felt. Things that were fearful become restful.

That's what your life can be for others when you carry the peace bubble with you.

Peace in the Midst of Summer Chaos

We recorded the podcast this content comes from after an interesting summer. Things had been busy, even chaotic at times for many people we knew. Markets were shifting. Families were going through transitions. The world felt unsettled.

But in the midst of all that, there was a settledness available for those who would receive it.

That's always been true. Jesus 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" (John 14:27, NIV).

The world's peace is circumstantial—it depends on everything going well. Jesus' peace is supernatural—it exists regardless of circumstances and actually has the power to shift circumstances.

Releasing Peace vs. Absorbing Chaos

The question is: Will you release your peace into chaos, or will you absorb chaos into yourself?

When you walk into a tense meeting, do you immediately pick up the tension and start operating from it? Or do you carry such internal peace that your presence shifts the atmosphere?

When you hear bad news, does fear immediately grip you? Or does your peace bubble hold, allowing you to respond from faith rather than react from fear?

When everything around you is turbulent, do you join the turbulence? Or do you become the calm in the storm?

We are learning—I am learning—to maintain that internal sanctuary no matter what's happening externally. To be so rooted in God's presence, so established in His peace, that circumstances don't dictate my internal state.

And here's what I'm discovering: when I maintain that peace, I don't just survive chaos better. I actually shift it. My presence changes rooms. My words change atmospheres. My peace becomes contagious.

An Invitation

I want to invite you into this reality: You are the temple. You carry the sanctuary. You can maintain internal peace regardless of external chaos.

This isn't about being in denial or pretending everything's fine when it's not. It's about being so deeply rooted in a greater reality—God's presence and sovereignty—that you can respond to difficulties from peace rather than from panic.

The world needs this. Your family needs this. Your workplace needs this. Your community needs this.

They need people who won't echo the fear and chaos, but who will bring peace into the storm.

Will you be that person?

Will you cultivate your peace bubble and carry the sanctuary with you wherever you go?

The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, is available to guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7, NIV).

Not peace that depends on circumstances, but peace that transforms circumstances.

Welcome to the peace bubble.

Where in your life do you most need to carry peace rather than absorb chaos? What practices help you maintain your internal sanctuary when everything external is turbulent? Share your thoughts below.

Blessings,
Susan 😊