Philippians 4:6-7
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
When we place our hope in anything other than God, it’s impossible to experience peace because only God is perfect.The world’s peace is dependent on outer situations and circumstances. Some people cannot experience peace (or it is very short-lived, here one minute, gone the next) because their peace is a stress-free state of security and calmness that comes but only in the absence of trouble.
They live their lives constantly waiting for everything to align and be perfect (a relationship, a promotion, wealth, etc.) before they can enjoy peace.
There’s nothing wrong with having standards or having high expectations but the problem is when our peace is dependent on those circumstances. When your peace comes from the world, the world can take it away. People will let you down, situations and circumstances change, and when that happens, then there goes your peace.
Jesus says in John 14:27 that he left us His peace and that His peace is not like that of the world. The peace of God is a peace that the world cannot take away. However, it has nothing to do with the absence of conflict.
In Him, peace can flow even in the midst of trouble. In fact, in John 16:33 Jesus 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.”
His peace is a reassurance deep down in our hearts that He is in control and that in the end, everything will work out for our good – (Romans 8:28).
In Philippians 4:6-7 God promises to give us a peace that surpasses all understanding. Notice this promise is conditional. In order to experience this peace, it requires giving up worry and praying about everything.
Through prayer, we acknowledge God by presenting Him with whatever our petition is and we thank Him even before the problem is solved because we know that He is Sovereign and His plans for us are always good.
To make it practical, in this world of trouble, prayer focuses our minds back to Jesus instead of on the problem and we can be at peace because we’re not going through it alone.
I have learned that everything will not always fit my preferences or live up to my expectations, yet I can still have peace. However, I have to give up control because when we insist on being in control, or worry about outcomes, we cannot experience peace. Worry is the enemy of peace and the two cannot coexist.
Although things may not always look like I pictured, I’ve learned to enjoy the good moments as they come and give all the rest to God or like 1 Peter 5:7 tells us, cast my cares (or anxieties) on Him. God guides us through the valley, through the waters, through the rivers, through the fire (Psalm 23:4, Isaiah 43).
I love Psalm 91. It talks about that secret place in our hearts where we can go to meet with God. It is wonderful to know that in Him, we can take refuge and know that He is covering us with His feathers!
My prayer is that we may learn to let the peace of God control the way we think. May we learn to develop a lifestyle of prayer and gratitude, trusting Him with everything and thanking Him for all things.
Be encouraged!
Psalm 23:4-6Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
