I Choose Peace: How to Quiet Your Heart in an Anxious World

by Chip Ingram

Our lives are fraught with anxiety. Conflict in our relationships, fears about the future, information overload, financial pressure, lack of contentment--all of them can steal our joy because they steal our peace. Through Christ we are promised peace, but how can we feel peace when we live in a world of chaos?Because, says Chip Ingram, peace isn't a feeling; it's a choice.In I Choose Peace, Chip unpacks Philippians 4 to show us how we can choose peace in- relational conflict- anxious moments- a broken world- difficult circumstances- a materialistic cultureIf you're tired of feeling anxious over the state of the world, your relationships, or your own heart, this encouraging book will help you quiet your worries and experience real, lasting peace that doesn't depend on what's going on around you.

Genres: Christian, Faith, Nonfiction, Self Help

208 pages, Hardcover

Published August 3, 2021

About the author

Chip Ingram is the teaching pastor and CEO of Living on the Edge, an international teaching and discipleship ministry. A pastor for over thirty years, Chip is the author of many books, including Culture Shock, The Real Heaven, The Real God, The Invisible War, and Love, Sex, and Lasting Relationships. Chip and his wife, Theresa, have four grown children and twelve grandchildren and live in California.

Reviews

[Sandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the things I love about Chip Ingram is his ability to deliver concepts in such an inspiring, understandable way. Add to that his ability to be so applicational and you have a real win in reading his books or listening to him speak. He is biblically sound and his thoughts are always drawn from the Scriptures.

This book is packed with hope in overcoming anxiety, and Chip lays out practical ways to meet it when it comes knocking at the door of your heart. He uses a well known passage in Philippians 4 to teach us how to tackle the beast of anxiety and not let it overcome us. While this may seem familiar to many, the way he lays out how to deal with it struck me as fresh and has given me a way to move forward in dealing with my own anxieties.

Chip also has talks on each of his chapters that you can download and listen to.

[Danielle Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been under attack by my ex employer for the last 3 1/2 years, with no end in sight, yet. Without going into all the details, I have been strip down to nothing, and this attack has disrupted my whole family. The fear was overwhelming and was taking over my family. I turned to the only One I knew could move mountains for help. I needed my Father, and I needed Him to tell me what to do… So I decided to stick my nose into my Bible, I've watched every teaching I can get my hands on regarding fear, and have read books about fear, and how Jesus will go before me and fight my battles. Through my studies, meditation, and time spent with my Father, I have found an unexplainable calmness in my heart through this whole process, but unfortunately I cannot say the same for my husband. I know my husband just wants to “save me”, but the fear and the stress is making him physically sick now. I keep telling him Jesus is in control, Jesus loves us too much to let us go through this alone, and Jesus will be the One to save us, and will receive all the glory; just trust Him. My Pastor said something in church a couple of years ago that stuck to my heart deeply, he said, “There is a difference between Believing in God and Believing God.” I choose to believe God when He tells me I’m His beloved. I choose to believe God when He tells me I’m His. I choose to believe God when He tells me I have no need to fear, because if He is for me, who could ever be against me.

When I saw Pastor Chip was going to be releasing his book, “I Choose Peace”, I was one of the many that reserved my pre-order copy. Soon as this book was made available to me, I read it in three days. My first reaction when I started reading this book, I stood up in my bedroom and yelled, “ So you’re telling me Jesus gave me His Peace? You mean I don’t have to train my own heart and mind to have Peace? So Jesus is just handing His Peace to me for free, and all I have to do is take it from Him? Lord, this is so much easier than what I was trying to do on my own, thank You!” The way the Lord spoke to me through this book is unexplainable, I'm tearing up now just typing these words. This book finally gave me the word I have been seeking, Peace! That's that unexplainable feeling I have in my heart, Peace! Pastor Chip finally explained the feeling I have in my heart that Jesus has been giving me through this difficult time in our lives. The information scripturally provided in this book also helped breakdown for me other areas in my life that I can take care of to be able to experience more of this Peace Jesus is giving out.

Choose Peace in Conflict - FORGIVENESS brings Peace. Choose Peace in Anxious Moments - FAITH brings Peace. Choose Peace in a Broken World - TRUST brings Peace. Choose Peace in Difficult Circumstances - BELIEVE brings Peace. Choose Peace in Materialistic Culture - RIGHTEOUSNESS brings Peace. Choose Peace in Tests of Faith - FULL SURRENDER brings Peace.

I Choose Peace will also help me fellowship, and share with my husband how he too can grab ahold of this Peace Jesus freely gives to the ones He loves. I have facilitated small group Bible studies in my home with Pastor Chip Ingram's study on “The Invisible War”, “ Love, Sex, & Lasting Relationships”, and look forward to someday facilitating a Bible study on “I Choose Peace” with the people I love. I highly recommend this book! “God, I ask You with a humbled and peaceful heart to continue blessing Living On The Edge, LOTE partners, Pastor Chip, and the whole Ingram family. In Jesus name, Amen.”

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always enjoyed Chip Ingram's Bible teaching and thought this was another hit from him. While I've read plenty about the peace that God promises, with an emphasis on Philippians 4, this went beyond that truth. I loved the emphasis on God's provision and how that relates to peace, as well as how Ingram clarified common misperceptions about how God provides and what we need to do (or not do) to receive this blessing.

[Lenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book mainly references Christian values, stories, and morals for finding peace in the midst of the litany of troubling life circumstances that eventually find their ways into all our lives. I found some points in the reading to be fairly argumentative, but nonetheless, it was a good read overall.

[Cindy Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written. A lot of truth that awakens your mind into your role in claiming God's peace. I would definitely read it again.