"When was the last time you experienced absolute peace in your heart? How long did it last? Have you somehow concluded peace is a rare commodity that comes only occasionally and remains briefly? The good news is you do not have to regard life that way.
In the fourth chapter of Philippians, the apostle Paul tells us how to protect our peace. Remember that this author is not wealthy or prominent, and he is not relaxing at some scenic resort --He is writing from a Roman prison where he is chained to a guard twenty-four hours a day. Though unjustly accused and in danger of losing his very life, he keeps talking about joy and peace. How would anyone have peace in such a situation?
The peace Paul describes is very real and practical. He tells us his contentment is a learned quality (Philippians 4:11), and the key to experiencing it is refusing anxiety, choosing instead to trust our sovereign God with life's trials. Therefore, true peace does not mean the absence of hardship, but rather a sense of tranquility and serenity, even in the midst of difficulty.
What is this peace like? Paul calls it the "peace which surpasses all comprehension." It simply cannot be explained in terms of human logic. This divine serenity is deeply satisfying and far beyond our understanding. It is not something we can work up--it originates with God Himself.
Ephesians 2:14 tells us that "Jesus is our peace." When we trust the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, we have true peace because we have Him; that is, God has grafted us into the vine--placed us into Christ Jesus. When we receive Him, we receive God's gift of His perfect peace.John 14:27 says that God's peace is unlike what the world calls by that name. It is unaffected by circumstances, and it has keeping power, protecting our minds from troubling thoughts and our hearts from detrimental emotions. Thank God that we don'ts have to analyze or understand peace in order to enjoy it!
If God makes it possible for us to have such an incomprehensible peace, why do we ever lose it? To understand how peace can be lost, we must first recognize the difference between legitimate concerns--Our family, our health, or our work--and anxieties, which are tormenting thoughts. Such fretful worries, which stem from a fear of losing control over our circumstances, cause us a great deal of harm emotionally, spiritually, and physically. Think about how anxiety affects us. It can divide the mind, make us afraid to act, and cause us to withdraw. Furthermore, it can result in depression, a defeated attitude, disbelief, and doubt. It can even wreak havoc with our health.
Of course, there are times in our life when we are thrown off balance for a moment, but as Christians, we need not remain in that condition for a prolonged period. If our caring becomes fretting, we ourselves have set down our peace and moved over into the anxiety category. Scripturally, however, it is impossible to legitimize anxiety because of several key biblical truths:
God is sovereign--in other words, He is in control of everything that happens to us
God is omniscient, which means there is not one single detail--past, present, or future--that escapes Him
He is omnipotent, so He has the power to change our circumstance, and
He is our loving father--He will do the right thing every time, and with our best interest in mind.
There are several tests you can apply to determine when justifiable caring has become anxiety. First, are you more concerned about what you desire than about the will of God? If you think about manipulating your circumstances, this could be an issue. Next, do you find yourself being hurried into making unwise decisions? And finally, do you constantly feel agitated or perturbed about something? Any of these could be symptoms of trouble, because anxiety is not the plan, will, or purpose of God; His perfect Peace is.
The first thing we should realize is that peace is fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22) Jesus told us that, though He would be going away, the Father would send His Holy Spirit to be in us. with us, and upon us. (John 14:16-17) Peace--along with love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control--is the overflow and outflow of God's Spirit living on the inside of us. It is a gift from almighty God.
True peace does not mean the absence of trials and hardship, but rather a sense of tranquility and serenity, even in the midst of those difficulties.
Oftentimes, we think we lose peace because people or our circumstances steal it from us. But in reality, losing it is a decision we make--we choose to think and feel a certain way--it is a choice we make. The big question, then, is this: In the midst of a trial or heartache, how do I protect my peace?
First of all, we must deal with any disobedience on our part. Ask, Is there any recurrent sin, any instance of rebellion in my life? Keep in mind that the Bible offers no promise of peace to people living outside of God's will.
The other important thing to remember is that we will be kept in perfect peace when we maintain our focus on God. (Isaiah 26:3) It is impossible to live life without ever being confronted by hard circumstances. When that happens--and it will happen--the first think we should do is lift our heart to the Father and pray."