Good morning! I am very excited to send you today’s devotional from Alexis. Alexis Garcia, senior journalism major and Spanish minor, RSL student worker, NBC5/Telemundo39 intern, TCU Ballet Folklorico director, TCU360 managing editor and senior writer, TCU Ambassador, TCU NSLS (National Society of Leadership and Success) secretary. –Rev. Katherine Wright
Philippians 4:6-7
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
If you’re searching for peace this holiday season, you’re not alone. Recently, I’ve realized the pressure of trying to be everything for everyone creates an overwhelming sense of anxiety. Matthew 7:12, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” is something I take seriously. I have a servant heart, and because of that, I pour myself into every role I hold. I try to be a good daughter, a supportive friend, a strong director for my team, a dedicated intern at the news station, a responsible managing editor for TCU360, and a tour guide who knows people’s college decisions might be shaped by my performance.
And that’s exactly the word: performance. Somewhere along the way, everything I did started to feel like something I had to excel at. I began believing the lie that I needed to be the best to be worthy.
Here’s the truth I’m relearning: peace comes when our identity is rooted in God, not in our accomplishments. God already knows who we are and who we’re becoming. The most important label we carry is “child of God.” Everything else in our lives is secondary, meant to glorify Him, not define us.
Here’s the truth I’m relearning: peace comes when our identity is rooted in God, not in our accomplishments. God already knows who we are and who we’re becoming. The most important label we carry is “child of God.” Everything else in our lives is secondary, meant to glorify Him, not define us.
This matters even more during the holiday season, when life feels loud and full. There’s so much noise (opinions, conversations, expectations, etc.) that peace can feel out of reach. But peace often begins in stillness. When we intentionally make space for God, He fills our cup with a peace beyond understanding, a peace that doesn’t depend on everything going right, but on choosing to trust Him in the midst of it all.
This Advent season, I invite you to release the pressure to perform and hand your worries to God. Choose to receive the perfect peace He freely gives. Writing this helped me recenter myself, and I’m grateful for the chance to encourage you too.
Let us pray.
Dear Father, our Prince of Peace, thank You for reminding us that our worth is found in You alone. Center our hearts on the truth that we are Your children first, and help us release the weight of performance we’ve been carrying. Fill us with Your perfect peace, the peace that steadies our steps, guards our minds, and overflows into the way we love others. As we walk through this Advent season, guide us back to Your presence as our source of strength and rest.
Amen.