Peace beyond Our Understanding
By Emma Danzey
Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Do Not Be Anxious about Anything
The Bible says, “Fear not” 365 times. This is significant when thinking about the normal year having 365 days in it. People take this as an encouragement to trust in God each day because He has told us not to be afraid.
Reading or hearing, “Do not be anxious about anything” sounds like an extreme command. What about the difficult news we just got from the doctor? Or what about my child who is in college away from home? Or how about our financial struggle to pay rent next month? This is the great gift that we have been given as believers in Christ. We have eternal hope and confidence. We do not have to be worried about anything because the enemy has been defeated and we have eternal life through Jesus. This does not mean that our tough days and bad news moments will not be challenging.
John 16:33 says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” We will have troubles and trials in this sinful and broken world. We will feel real pain and experience death and suffering. However, we are to take heart because Jesus has overcome. When He tells us not to be anxious about anything. He means it. He is telling us that He is over everything and we can find rest in Him.
Prayer and Petition, with Thanksgiving
Philippians tells us how we can fight the temptation to worry. We can present our requests to God through prayer and petition with thanksgiving. This means that we pour out our hearts to God and tell Him our requests and our desires. We do this with thanksgiving. Gratitude unlocks joy. When we are tempted to sit in our anxious thoughts, we can combat this with thankfulness. We can find the amazing blessings around us and praise the Lord. This resets our hearts in times of trouble and helps us to think on the many spiritual gifts rather than on the “what ifs.”
The Peace of God
When we have the Holy Spirit, one of the fruits that He gives us is peace. Do you ever wonder how people can have peace in a tragedy or how they can have peace in continual challenges? In these moments, the peace that could only come from God shines through. The peace that comes from God is spiritual. It is not about a temporary fix of a massage or a bubble bath. This is the kind of peace that does not have to leave us. It guards our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus.
There are good methods to have a peaceful moment, but only Jesus can bring true and lasting peace. We can have peace from God because we now have peace with God through Christ. We have the ability to tap into and receive His peace. When we know that we are not able to do something on our own, we can humbly ask the Lord to bring us His peace. I find it no coincidence that when sharing about the armor of God, Paul shares in Ephesians 6:15 that we are to put on the shoes of peace. The peace of God helps us to take steps forward when we would otherwise be paralyzed by fear. He gives us the strength to walk.
Intersecting Faith and Life:
Are you anxious about anything right now? God tells us not to be anxious, go to Him with your prayer and requests with thanksgiving believing that His peace that is beyond your understanding with guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. Through His gift of the Holy Spirit, you can walk in the shoes of peace today, knowing that God cares for you.
Further Reading:
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