“But the fruit of the Spirit …peace…” – Galatians 5:22 (NIV)
When I was first diagnosed with brain cancer, peace was difficult to find. Questions raged in my mind:
What treatments are best?
How long can I live with these treatments when they make me feel so sick?
How will I survive financially?
Will my family suffer because of my diagnosis?
How will my family and friends carry on if I do not survive this?
Beyond these fears, I immediately faced two very real problems.
First, I needed a specific test that could open the door to a unique treatment option, but my then-oncologist refused to order it.
Second, my mom needed my car to take me to and from radiation appointments. Every dollar I had was going toward medical care, yet I still owed $3,000 on the car loan and could not make the monthly payments. To make matters worse, when I asked a nonprofit to return a $3,000 donation I had given earlier that year, they refused. Their response left me hurt and unsettled. Peace seemed impossible.
Then, a good friend told me about a practice he used: keeping a file of problems beyond his control, which he called “God’s problems.” Inspired, I began keeping my own list and praying over it. In that season, the Lord brought me to Exodus 14:14: “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
As I placed my faith in that promise, peace began to take root in my heart—and almost immediately, God resolved my two burdens.
Problem #1: At my very first appointment with a new oncologist, she brought up the exact test I had been fighting for—before I even mentioned it.
Problem #2: A hailstorm pelted my car so severely it looked like a golf ball, yet it remained drivable. The insurance company paid off the loan and cut me a check for $3,000—the exact amount I had asked the nonprofit to refund.
Both answers came without my striving. Truly, they were miracles.
Through this, I learned that to experience peace, I must be like a banana. I must peel away the tough outer layer of “I have to do it myself” and instead be still, placing my faith in Christ.
Peace and faith go hand in hand. When we trust God’s many promises, our faith deepens, and His peace follows. This must be what Paul meant when he wrote of a peace that “surpasses all understanding” in Philippians 4:6–7.
Because I believe God cannot break His promises, I know I can cast all my cares upon Him—whose yoke is easy and burden is light (Matthew 11:28–30). And when I do, I taste the sweet fruit of His miracles, revealed after the peel is stripped away.
For Discussion
What aspect of your cancer or illness journey has caused you the most anxiety, and how have you responded?
What promises from God are sustaining you in this season?
What practical steps can you take to remain in the peace that surpasses all understanding?