Your life is hectic! Juggling family time, work, and church equals jam-packed days. You want to spend time in God’s Word, but the busyness of life keeps getting in the way. What if, however, you could take five minutes to invest in making each day matter?

In her new book 5 Minutes with Jesus: Making Today Matter (Thomas Nelson, 2015), Sheila Walsh (@SheilaWalsh) helps readers find perspective in the midst of their fast-paced lives.

[Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, Helping Kids Love the Bible: An Interview with Sheila Walsh]

[Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, Quiet Time for Your Soul: An Interview with Sheila Walsh]

The following article is an excerpt from 5 Minutes with Jesus: Making Today Matter.

Noise Pollution

Stop for a moment and just listen. What do you hear? Maybe the neighbor’s lawnmower . . . the barking dog a few houses down . . . a clock ticking . . . the cars on the street.

Now stop for a moment and just listen to the noise inside. What is keeping your heart from being quiet and at peace? Most likely, it’s many things, because although we long for peace, real life intrudes.

A call from the doctor

A note from the teacher about a child’s behavior

A lost job and a pile of bills

Real life does not foster internal peace!

In the last major conversation Jesus had with His closest friends, He spoke about peace—but not as we might have expected Him to. When I read Jesus saying, “I’ve told you all this so that you may have peace” (John 16:33), my first question is All what? If I didn’t look back to John 15 to see what Jesus had been saying, I’d guess that keys to peace would be something along these lines:

“You’re going to live to a ripe old age.”

“Your children will rise up and call you blessed—even when they hit fifteen.”

“You will always have enough money for all you need and most of what you want.”

“You will hear the Lord tell you ‘Well done’ after a lifetime of faithfulness.”

Sounds good, right? But not one of these things was included in the strangest “peace speech” I’ve ever read. Turn to John 15 and you’ll see that Jesus told His closest friends that they would be persecuted and no longer welcome in places they used to go. Go to John 16:2 and you’ll find these devastating words: “You will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing a holy service for God.”

Clearly the peace Jesus spoke about is not what we think of at all. He was saying to His disciples—and to you and me today—“It’s going to get rough down here, but don’t worry. I am with you. I will never leave you. And I am your peace.”

No matter what is going on in your life, stop for a moment and speak His name out loud:

“Jesus . . . Jesus . . . Jesus.”

Know that He is with you and that He is for you even when the storm is raging all around.

Peace is not the absence of trouble; it is the presence of Christ.

Five Minutes in the Word

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”
John 14:27

Those who love your instructions have great peace and do not stumble.
Psalm 119:165

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33

In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.
Psalm 4:8

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end.
Isaiah 9:6-7

The above excerpt is from chapter one of 5 Minutes with Jesus: Making Today Matter. Copyright © 2015 by Sheila Walsh. Used by permission of Thomas Nelson Publishers, part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing. www.thomasnelson.com. All rights reserved. Taken from pp. 5-8.

Bio: Sheila Walsh is a powerful communicator, Bible teacher, and bestselling author with more than 5 million books sold. She’s the author of the award-winning Gigi, God’s Little Princess series, God Loves Broken People, The Shelter of God’s Promises, and novel, Sweet Sanctuary. Sheila lives near Dallas, Texas with her husband, Barry, and son, Christian.