Peace

People in the early church didn’t always have it all together. Even the authors of the epistles struggled with living out their Christianity in a godless society. Paul was very transparent about his shortcomings. Being real allows us to relate with others’ struggles and enables us to share biblical teaching from our experience. Didn’t Paul have to learn “My grace is sufficient for you?” Didn’t he have a contentious disagreement over John Mark accompanying him and Barnabas on their next mission in Acts 15? Do you think Paul endured near to death physical persecution without having some anxiety? He was human like us. I believe Paul’s experiences prompted him to exhort others with words like these, “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.” Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬.

Let’s unpack this advice Paul gave. Be ANXIOUS for NOTHING. While we all have anxiety from time to time, it’s not healthy for us, especially as Christ-followers who have the solution: in EVERYTHING give our concerns to God in PRAYER.  Paul reminds us that God’s PEACE is so great it transcends our ability to UNDERSTAND, yet it GUARDS our HEARTS and MINDS through Christ.

So when we face adversity and the anxiety it inevitably brings, we have a solution.  “Give it to God” isn’t a cliche or platitude. It’s a biblical model to follow in order to experience God’s PEACE. We learn from the past so we can face the future. 

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27 NIV