When life feels loud and your mind won’t slow down, peace can feel like something other people have, but not you. You’ve tried praying harder, taking another trip, or signing up for a new self-help course, only to find yourself right back stuck in chaos. But what if peace of mind isn’t something you find but it’s something you make?

James, the brother of Jesus, wrote, “If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.” (James 3:13 NLT) In other words, if you want peace, prove it.

Peace begins with learning to think new thoughts. When your brain starts running through worry, what-ifs, or replaying that conversation again, pause and ask, “Is this way of thinking leading me to peace?” Philippians 4:8 says, “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure.” Peace isn’t about controlling everything around you, it’s about surrendering your thoughts to God and letting Him reshape what happens inside you.

We can’t always choose our first thought, but we can choose what we keep thinking about. And what you keep thinking about shapes who you become. When you challenge the thoughts that steal your peace, like jealousy, comparison, bitterness, and fear, you make room for God’s thoughts instead.

James reminds us that “those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.” (James 3:18 NLT) That means peace doesn’t just live in our minds, it shows up in our actions. You make peace when you forgive, when you slow down, when you respond with grace instead of control.

If you want peace of mind, prove it.